Demand for SAAP services

On 28 February the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released its annual data on demand for SAAP accommodation. Their key finding was that on an average day one in two people who request immediate SAAP accommodation are turned away, as are almost two in every three accompanying children.

The AIHW’s media release ‘Homeless families, children more likely to be turned away’ can be found here.

The AIHW’s Bulletin 34 Demand for SAAP Accommodation for Homeless People 2003-04 can be downloaded from here.

The latest 5 year Commonwealth/State agreement for the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) did nothing to address the very real problems facing services for the homeless in NSW. For this reason, NCOSS has joined with the 3 SAAP peaks in NSW - HomelessnessNSW.ACT, the Youth Accommodation Association and the NSW Women's Refuge Resource Centre - to campaign for additional funding in the 2006/07 Commonwealth Budget.

The timing of the campaign coincides with the appointment of a new Federal Minister for Community Services, Mr John Cobb MP, and with Sydney hosting the 4th National Homelessness Conference on 1-3 March 2006.

Campaign tools:

• Kit: [pdf 89kb]
• Service Provider letter [word 23kb]
• General Public letter [word 23kb]

The aim of SAAP is to provide transitional supported accommodation and related support services to assist people who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness.

The program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments and has been in existence since January 1985.

In NSW the program is administered by the NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS). There are currently some 386 services receiving funding across the State.

The national evaluation of SAAP IV, completed in mid 2004, concluded that funding of the program needed to be increased by 15% just to ensure the viability of existing services at current capacity. It said that an extra 35 to 40% was needed if the aim was to also expand service capacity and implement new ways of working.

In the lead up to the new SAAP V agreement, NCOSS and the NSW SAAP peaks campaigned to have funding for the program increased in line with the findings of the SAAP IV national evaluation. In the event, however, the final agreement reached in late September 2005 was a bitter disappointment. It provided no increase (other than indexation) in base funding for the program in NSW, and only nominal funding from the proposed Innovation and Investment Fund, but not until years 4 and 5 of the agreement. This was a totally unacceptable outcome for services in NSW.

We are campaigning for adequate Commonwealth funding for SAAP in NSW in line with the findings of the national evaluation of SAAP IV. In total we are seeking additional Commonwealth funding of less than $23 million a year. This is equivalent to 0.2% of the projected budget surplus of $11.5 billion.

Further information, including key statistics, responses to myths put about SAAP V, and contact details for the media and Minister Cobb is contained in the campaign kit [pdf 89kb].

We are urging service providers and interested members of the public to write to their Federal Member of Parliament seeking improved funding for SAAP in NSW. There are 2 versions of this letter, one for service providers [word 23kb] and one for members of the general public [word 23kb]. These may be adapted in line with your own experiences and issues.

We are keen to monitor progress with the campaign and would welcome copies of any local stories, replies you receive and so. These should be emailed to warren@ncoss.org.au.

As a result of the recent reshuffle of the Federal Ministry, the new Minister for Community Services is Mr John Cobb MP. Mr Cobb's NSW electorate of Parkes includes the towns/cities of Barmedman, Broken Hill, Cobar, Condobolin, Forbes, Grenfell, Hillston, Ivanhoe, Lake Cargelligo, Menindee, Narromine, Nevertire, Nyngan, Parkes, Peak Hill, Tibooburra, Trangie, West Wyalong, and Wilcannia. He has two electorate offices - one in Dubbo and the other in Broken Hill.

Map of electorate: download pdf 386kb

Over the course of the campaign we will be naturally be particularly interested in the situation of SAAP services and clients in the Minister's electorate.

NCOSS Media Releases

• In a year of exceptional budget surplus the Government says no to the homeless
  22 February 2006
• Further evidence for SAAP funding campaign
  28 September 2005
• Brogden must get his hands dirty for the homeless in NSW
  9 June 2005
• Homeless left out in the cold
  3 June 2005
• Homeless people left without help in NSW
  11 March 2005

Government links:

The Commonwealth Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has published the following information:

• National Evaluation of the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP IV)A Report to the SAAP National Coordination and Development Committee [download main report pdf 1512kB]
  
• SAAP V information, including text of the multilateral agreement, strategic priorities and innovation and investment fund.

Other links:

• HomelessnessNSW.ACT
• NSW Women's Refuge Resource Centre
• Youth Accommodation Association Inc
• 4th National Homelessness Conference

For further information:

Warren Gardiner, NCOSS Senior Policy Officer
phone: 02 9211 2599, ext 112
email: warren@ncoss.org.au