Jennie George (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House:

(1)

notes that:

(a)

on nearly any night there are around 100,000 Australians who are homeless and that nearly half of these people are under 25, with young people aged 12-18 making up a quarter of all those who are homeless; and

(b)

the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) is often the last resort for people who find themselves without, or at risk of being without, safe, secure or adequate housing;

(2)

expresses concern at the recent findings of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), which show that:

(a)

SAAP is able to accommodate 12,335 people on an average day;

(b)

SAAP is unable to accommodate all who request immediate accommodation, with an estimated 304 people (193 adults and unaccompanied children and 111 accompanying children) turned away on an average day;

(c)

over half (56 per cent) of the people making valid requests for immediate accommodation on any given day were turned away;

(d)

family groups had more difficulty in obtaining SAAP than individuals; and

(e)

a large proportion of the homeless population do not receive SAAP accommodation; and

(3)

urges the Government to:

(a)

recognise the immense pressure under which SAAP funded services are operating, with reduced real funding levels under the current agreement;

(b)

provide additional funding to meet unmet demand; and

(c)

develop strategies and work co-operatively with other levels of government to reduce homelessness.

On any night there are almost 100,000 men, women and children who are homeless. Homelessness affects people of all ages, with nearly half of those who are in this category being under 25. Not only are people who experience homelessness a diverse group in terms of age, gender and circumstances but the profile of homeless people has broadened from predominately older, lone men to now include more women, young people and families. Homeless people are among the most marginalised people in Australia.

The studies on homelessness in Australia show that there are different levels of homelessness ranging from people who live on the streets to people who are in temporary shelter or crisis accommodation through to residents of boarding houses who have no security of tenure. The factors that contribute to homelessness are diverse, complex and often interdependent. Personal factors such as family breakdown, domestic violence and mental health problems contribute to the underlying structural causes, which include poverty, unemployment and an inadequate stock of affordable housing.

The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program provides funding to around 1,200 agencies throughout Australia that work tirelessly to provide support for homeless people. A recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare study showed some of the limitations in the current levels of support that are able to be provided through this program due to inadequate levels of funding. Despite the best efforts of the service providers, a large proportion of our homeless population is not able to be accommodated through SAAP. Though around 12,335 people are catered for on an average day, at the same time an estimated 304 people are turned away—people seeking crisis accommodation. Additional funding by all levels of government is desperately needed to meet this unmet demand. I speak on behalf of local providers such as the Southern Youth and Family Services, which provides a comprehensive range of programs for homeless youth, and the Warilla Women’s Refuge. Both organisations are often in the position of having to turn people away due to inadequate resources and funding.

A few years ago in the publication Counting the homeless 2001, statistics were published on both a national and a state basis, based on the outcomes of the 2001 census. It was estimated back in 2001 that there were 26,676 homeless people in NSW, and in my own region an estimated 1,530 people faced homelessness every night. Most of the homelessness in the Illawarra region is in fact hidden, with nearly 46 per cent of the recorded homeless population living temporarily with friends and relatives and 22 per cent of the recorded homeless in assisted accommodation. The extrapolation of the figures showed that 19 per cent of these people were in private boarding homes, but in the Illawarra 13 per cent of our homeless population were indeed living in improvised dwellings and on the streets. It makes you wonder in an economy that is burgeoning and a country as rich as ours how we continue with this national problem.

We need to develop a more effective national strategy in a coordinated and integrated manner, bringing in all levels of government to address the range of factors that contribute to homelessness. Very importantly, access to regular, stable employment and an increase in the stock of affordable housing would have a major impact on reducing the high levels of homelessness in our communities. I want to take the opportunity to commend the efforts of those who work in SAAP funded services and recognise the pressures on them which require additional levels of support and funding to help address a serious national and regional problem.

See this speech in context