HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY

560 Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (9 July 2013). With reference to 2013-14 Budget Paper 4, vol.1, p. 95—

1. Are women and young people, who are homeless and maybe couch surfing or staying with friends temporarily, included in the activity indicators and what about the homeless people in country areas?

2. In Budget Paper 4, vol. 1, page 94 it states that 19,200 people were assisted through Specialist Homelessness Services, but on page 95, Budget Paper 4, vol. 1, it states that the projection is 550—How many are actually homeless and why is there this discrepancy?

3. How many homeless people are there in Port Augusta, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln and Ceduna?

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers): I have been advised:

1. The activity indicator 'Number of "rough sleepers" in South Australia assisted through Specialist Homelessness Service' on page 95 of Budget Paper 4, vol. 1 includes people who are living in non-conventional accommodation. Non-conventional accommodation includes living on the streets, sleeping in parks, squatting or living in improvised dwellings.

Young people and women are included in this activity indicator if they are homeless in the sense of living in non-conventional accommodation. Couch surfing or staying with friends temporarily is not included in the definition of rough sleeping, therefore any young people or women in this situation are not captured by this indicator. Homelessness data is collected from agencies across all metropolitan and country areas in South Australia, and therefore results include people in country areas.

2. Clients assisted through Specialist Homelessness Services may present as either homeless or at risk of homelessness. Homelessness includes a wide variety of circumstances. Some homeless people are in non-conventional accommodation ('rough sleeping') whilst others are 'couch surfing' or in other vulnerable arrangements. The Budget Papers show 19,200 South Australian people sought assistance from Specialist Homelessness Services.

The data shown on page 95 of the Budget Papers is an activity indicator relating to rough sleepers. 'Rough sleepers' is one of two categories of homeless clients as defined by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

3. It is not possible to determine the exact number of homeless people within a local area at any one time. Therefore, whilst we do not have figures on the actual number of homeless people in Port Augusta, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln and Ceduna, 194 clients were assisted by Specialist Homelessness Services in 2011-12 as follows:

Port Augusta—70 clients

Limestone Coast (includes Mount Gambier)—53 clients

Port Lincoln—33 clients

Ceduna—38 clients