A report released today by the Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare using data collected as part of the Supported
Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) National Data Collection,
shows that while homelessness agencies accommodate large numbers of
clients each day, they are unable to completely meet the demand for
specialist homelessness accommodation.
The report, Demand for government-funded specialist
homelessness accommodation 2008-09: a report from the SAAP National
Data Collection, includes data from all states and territories
except Victoria, and shows that of the people who were accommodated
on an average day, the vast majority were in continuing
accommodation.
'In 2008-09, people needing new and
immediate accommodation made up a relatively small percentage of
total demand (about 4%), but of those new requests, the majority
(62%) were unable to be accommodated,'
said Felicity Murdoch of the Institute's Housing and Homelessness
Group. Ms Murdoch added that 'this level
of turn away was similar to that reported in recent years'.
The most likely group to be turned
away were family groups. An average of 80% of couples with
children, 75% of couples without children and 69% of individuals
with children who requested new and immediate accommodation were
turned away each day, compared with 50% of individuals without
children.
'One reason that family groups may
find it harder to get into accommodation is that, once they are
accommodated, these groups, particularly couples with children,
tend to stay longer and hence places for them become available less
often,' Ms Murdoch said.
Single men's agencies had the lowest
turn-away rate, with 31% of requests for new and immediate
accommodation unable to be met.
Some significant changes have occurred in the administration of
homelessness services by Australian governments since the SAAP was
replaced by the National Affordable Housing Agreement on 1 January
2009. Many of the previous SAAP services continued under the new
agreement and a few new or modified services were introduced in the
second half of 2008-09. Also, as noted in the report, data for
Victoria are not included. Caution should be used in comparing
2008-09 results with previous years.
The report is accompanied by a summary publication Demand
for government-funded specialist homelessness accommodation
2008-09: summary.
Wednesday 21 July 2010
Further information: Ms Felicity Murdoch, AIHW,
tel. (02) 6244 1018, mob. 0407 915 851
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. (02) 6244 1032.
Demand for accommodation from government funded specialist
homelessness services 2008-09: a report from the Interim SAAP
National Data Collection
Summary
ReportFull
report