University reports on homeless program evaluation

University reports on homeless program evaluation

The Federal and State Governments should increase funding of a major national program to assist the homeless by 25%, a University of Queensland evaluation has recommended.

The University's evaluation of the joint Federal-State Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) recommended a funding boost to $286 million in 1999-2000, and subsequent annual increases linked to inflation, worker award adjustments and any impact of a Goods and Services Tax.

The Federal Government last June selected the Social and Economic Research Centre (SERC) and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) at the University to carry out the evaluation of the SAAP.

Federal Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Jocelyn Newman, released the report this week. (April 20).

Evaluation and Research Team Chair, Emeritus Professor John Western, the Director of SERC, and Professor Bob Stimson, Professor of Geographical Services and Planning and Director of AHURI, said the increase was needed to help lead agencies dealing with the homeless reduce unmet demand, and to enable them to fulfil their obligations under the SAAP Act.

They believe the lift in funding, linked to a demand for greater efficiency and professionalism in the industry through initiatives such as agency accreditation could have at least a 15% impact on unmet demand.

"We have very good data which shows that in 1996 about 106,000 homeless people, and about 60,000 children, were provided with services by agencies," Professor Stimson said. "But it is estimated that around 100,000 to 105,000 had to be turned away."

Professor Stimson said that while state lead agencies dealing with the homeless had generally supported initiatives such as the case management of clients, they had been introduced without any increase in funding to assist in their implementation.

"The homeless sector hasn't had any growth in funding for some time," he said. "It didn't have any growth in funding in the current five-year SAAP. From its inception in the mid-80s to the mid-90s its funding, compared to other community service programs in Australia, has lagged way behind."

Another major recommendation of the evaluation was the establishment of a Council for the Homeless to improve Federal-State coordination and to provide policy and program strategy advice to the Federal Minister.

Emeritus Professor Western said the Council, chaired by the permanent head of the Department of Family and Community Services, should include representatives of State lead agencies and those responsible for administering SAAP in each State.

"There is reasonable coordination between the Commonwealth and the States at the moment, but it is a big task and we felt it could be improved," he said.

For further information, contact Emeritus Professor Western on 07 3365 4554 (work) or 07 3379 6574 (home).