Answers to Questions

EMERGENCY HOUSING

In reply to the Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (4 March 2008).

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs): The Minister for Housing has provided the following information: The Minister for Housing has provided the following information:

Emergency accommodation for people experiencing homelessness, including single adults, families and young people is funded through the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP). In 2006-07, there were in excess of 70 recurrently funded SAAP services, across metropolitan and regional areas. In addition to emergency accommodation, these services provide early intervention and post-crisis support.

SAAP agencies accommodate their clients in 815 properties provided predominantly through Housing SA’s Supported Tenancy Scheme (STS). These properties are used to provide time limited, crisis and transitional accommodation.

The government realises that, as well as providing emergency and other accommodation options, it is critical that early intervention measures are taken to ensure that people such as Sam and her daughter are prevented from becoming homeless in the first place.

The government funds numerous programs under the Social Inclusion Homelessness initiative that are aimed at identifying and supporting at risk families and individuals. The Department for Families and Communities is coordinating a departmental approach to homelessness, which includes SAAP reform. This reform process is being designed to improve the system and deliverables from the SAAP reform, including enhanced access to emergency accommodation, better use of STS properties and improved service availability across State Government regions.

Crisis Care is an after-hours service only. It provides a number of after hours roles of which emergency housing is but one. During normal business hours, namely between 9:00am and 5:00pm on weekdays, people facing an emergency housing need would normally contact one or more of the following agencies:

Housing SA;

Families SA District Centres;

Family Accommodation and Information Referral Service (FAIRS), funded to act as an umbrella service broker to assist those in need of emergency accommodation;

Trace a Place (TAP), for emergency youth accommodation;

Domestic Violence Contact Service (DVCS), to assist victims of domestic violence with interim accommodation and support; or

Self-referral to some men’s and women’s shelters.

These agencies, with the exception of the adult shelters, are contracted to assist clients up to 5:00 pm on weekdays. Crisis Care is funded to provide the after-hours service point and response for FAIRS, TAP and DVCS. It would be a duplication of services for Crisis Care to operate these responsibilities earlier.

Sam has been receiving assistance from Housing SA to secure housing since late 2007. This has primarily been in the form of support from the Private Rental Liaison Officer (PRLO), to secure a property in the private market. The PRLO sourced several potential properties. Sam has declined these for various reasons.

After some time, though with bond assistance from Housing SA, Sam secured accommodation.