The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP)



HOMELESSLegal DefinitionA person is homeless if, and only if, he or she has inadequate access to safe and secure housing. Source- (Supported Accommodation Program Act 1994)Social DefinitionA homeless person may be categorised by their social and economic status, poor living conditions as well as their dependency on others.NeedWhy is this a Priority NeedExamplesAccess to ServicesBasic needs (food, shelter, clothing), support (financial, social), protection (safety), emotional support services Charities and Organisations: Red Cross, Mission Australia, Salvation ArmyHousingShelter is a basic need. Depending on their level of homelessness (tertiary, secondary and primary) could impact the level of support they receive. The facilities available are limited due to the cost associated. Not all can be catered forSupported Accommodation Assistance Program Charities and Organisations: Red Cross Financial SupportSome homeless people do not have a fixed address and so they can not receive government funding assistance. They rely on charities and organisations to meet basic needs. Those with a fixed address rely on government support and money for food and services(no address): Charities and Organisations(address): Centrelink: Newstart Payment Allowance HealthHealth is poor due to living conditions (particularly those who are ‘primary’ homeless). The cost of accessing services and the inability to gain private health insurance means long waiting lists in hospitals and doctors. A lack of knowledge for health issues, prevention strategies and healthy ways of living is also detrimental to ones healthMedia Campaigns: How do you Measure Up?Medicare Levy/ Public Health SystemSecurity and SafetyPhysical safety due to lack of shelter, poor health and possible violence from society and each other. Emotional security is low due to a lack of comfort, poor sense of identity, self-esteem and loneliness. Socially they require encouragement, interaction with others (charities and organisations assist with this). The type/level of homelessness will impact on the level of safety they have.Social/ Emotional: CharitiesPhysical: Rent Assistance or counselling for violence.Characteristics:Inadequate access to safe and secure housingLack economic and social supportOften cut off from support of relatives and friendsMany people become homeless because of unemployment, poverty, lack of affordable housing, substance abuse or gambling. Youth homelessness is usually linked with family conflict and unemploymentFactors affecting access to resources:Socioeconomic status:Due to their low socio-economic status they may not have enough money for housing. Needs such as food and water would be of high priority and therefore would account for most of their money. Education:May not have the sufficient knowledge or qualifications to get a job that is suitable for them and provides them with sufficient economic stability to get them off the streets. Also a person who is not educated well may believe that they have no options and that there is no one to help them, which can lead to a decrease in social and emotional wellbeing. Disability:Disability can affect a homeless person’s access to resources widely and deteriorate their situation further depending on their disability. Location:An advantage of living on the streets of a city means that there are more services in the city put in place to help homeless people get back on their feet. A homeless person has a nomadic lifestyle and therefore limits their ability to access resources by where they decide to live or sleep. Age:May affect their willingness to access servicesIf they are younger they may be frightened to go and seek help from someone they do not know, this may lead to them not gaining the help and support they need. (Decrease in social and emotional wellbeing). Many resources are age specificSocietal Attitudes towards the group:The term homeless is used to describe those people in the community that do not have access to safe or permanent housing – society views these people as there is a reason why these people are like this, that they choose to live this way.Society may feel that these people are benefiting from the taxpayers. (this may also cause conflict)Society view homeless people as having very low self-esteem as they are not equal to other members of society.Society can stereotype the homeless and see them as being dirty, diseased and infectious.Society may feel that these people lack education and this is due to their status, but that is not always the case. This may be a result of abuse, neglect or inability to gain employment.Poor lack of security and safety as other members of the community.There may be limited interests from community members.Conflict between group and community interestsHomeless find it hard to access resources due to their lack of no fixed address.Homeless people feel frustration towards the people that may choose not to help or take interest in these people and their status.There may be conflict between the community members, as they may not want to view these people on the street due to how visitors or tourists view their environment, as very stereotyping views can be established.Lack of education, how homeless people can find resources and volunteers that will help their situation and munity responsibilityThe community has many responsibilities in relation to the homeless. They have a responsibility to: Not exploit or mislead them due to their vulnerability. To encourage their independence, individuality and dignity. To be tolerant and patient To educate the younger generations and themselves about the needs of the homeless and in general become more educated as a society in order to develop a compassionate and sympathetic attitude towards the homeless. To not discriminate against them based on their mistakes. To ensure the access of at least their physical needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Inform them of the available services. Provide education.To treat them individually and not stereotype them. There are a variety of reasons one becomes homeless not simply drugs. To prevent individuals ending up in this situation. The community has a responsibility to develop education and life skills as poor education is a factor and an outcome of homelessness. To fulfill their health needs. Provide employment assistance. Many homeless people are unemployed. Access to regular and stable employment is essential for preventing and reducing homelessness. Homeless people may require intensive support to access jobs but the majority could secure employment if given appropriate assistance. To re-establish family and community connections- People experiencing chronic homelessness often have little contact with parents, siblings, partners, children and their community. Social marginalisation is a significant barrier to helping people exit from homelessness. Provide affordable housing. The lack of affordable and secure housing is a substantial cause of homelessness. Demand for social and low cost housing far exceeds supply. Increasing the stock of affordable, well located, Long-term housing will have a major impact on reducing homelessness. Working with other key stakeholders to ensure community services are accessible, appropriate and responsive. To the needs of the homeless. Not to inflict moral or religious judgment. Provide rehabilitation Programs. Donate goods. Adapt ways of receiving financial support. Provide safe, affordable, short and long-term accommodation. Review public housing. Show empathy, tolerance and friendship. Assisting to facilitate a coordinated approach by local support services for homeless people. Examining planning policies of council and key stakeholders to ensure there is a reasonable distribution of services and facilities for homeless people across the local area. Some community members join service groups to fulfill their perceived responsibility to the homeless. They can fulfill their responsibility through community programs such as the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, The Smith Family and St Vincent De Paul Society. All of which function on volunteers in this case providing emergency assistance in the form of food, clothing, accommodation and transport. While some of these community groups are funded by the government they are not possible without the community volunteers. With “nearly half (46 percent) of those who are homeless being less than 25 years of age and young people aged between 12-18 years making up a quarter of all those who are homeless” (‘Homelessness: A new understanding. New responses’ report. .au) The community has a responsibility to help them gain better prospects and help them escape the cycle of homelessness. For many homeless people, they, with assistance want to again become a valued contributing member of society, however this may be difficult with little access to resources including money, power and education; the community has a responsibility to provide resources that can help them regain status and a happier future. Rights of the group Little progress has been made in promoting and protecting the human rights of the homeless. It is arguable that people living in public spaces are experiencing a breach of their human rights on a daily basis. Denying the homeless this right is contrary to their human rights. The homeless population share many similar rights to other population groups. However the homeless are an inequity group because many of these rights are not satisfied and thus they have little or no sense of wellbeing. These include: A right to a safe place to live. Homeless are defined by the breech of this basic right. They have the right to physical, psychological and emotional safety. A right to adequate social security, assistance and protection. A right to independence and dignity. A right to be shown respect and feel valued. Access to food water shelter clothing health care through community support and help. Access education & training programs. Access social & legal services. A right to non-discrimination. The stereotypes of the homeless often lead to degradation, inequality and often abuse. Privacy Access cultural spiritual recreational resources. Live in dignity, security, free from phys mental abuse. The human right to freedom from discrimination based any status, in all aspects of life including employment and access to housing, health care, and social services. The human right to protection from neglect and all types of physical or mental abuse. The human right to full and active participation in all aspects of political, economic, social and cultural life of society. The human right to full and effective participate in decision-making concerning their wellbeing. The right to freedom from torture and cruel inhumane and degrading treatment. The right to liberty and security of person. The right to freedom of expression. Enjoy ones culture. Social security without having proof of ID, a fixed address or opening a bank account. Education that is non threatening and accessible to the homeless. Right to an appropriate standard of living adequate for their health and wellbeing. Right to live without fear of ernement Policies and RegulationsWith the homeless not having any residential address it becomes hard for them to seek help financially and/or through government agencies or policies. There is however some policies and regulations in place that can help assist in this area for example:The Council to Homeless Persons organisation works on a number of levels with various policies and ways in which they can help including creating awareness and actively working with the homeless. They also seek to both reduce and eliminate the existence of homelessness and to ensure improvements in the responses to and circumstances of people who are homeless.There work involves:Representing the views and concerns of agencies, organisations and services that work to assist people experiencing homelessness.Advocating on behalf of people who are homeless to government and the wider community.Providing opportunities for people experiencing homelessness to have a voice and make a contribution towards policy related to homelessness.Working in partnership with other stakeholders to improve services for people experiencing homelessness.The current Policy Unit consists of the Policy Officer, who has a generalist homelessness policy focus and the Youth Policy Officer, whose role concentrates on issues related to young people and homelessness. The two positions work together on many policy projects.The Youth Policy Officer works for improved outcomes for young people experiencing homelessness through:seeking to influence government policy development and reform;working with the homelessness service sector towards developing and promoting best practice frameworks;industry planning for the youth homelessness service system;consulting with, and listening to, young people who are experiencing, or have experienced homelessness;encouraging and participating in research on issues impacting on young people experiencing homelessness.Other government policies and regulations in place consist of:The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP)The Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) and the Crisis Accommodation Program (CAP)Rent Assistance (RA)The Emergency Relief Program (ERP)Department of Family and Community ServicesThe National Homelessness StrategyAs well as the programs outlined above the Commonwealth also provides a range of social security benefits (for example, the youth allowance and aged, disability and unemployment benefits) and health and other welfare type benefits/support which may be accessed by homeless people or by people who are in danger of being homeless. Initiatives with regard to reducing drug abuse, improving family relationships and various crime prevention measures can also be viewed as measures that will have an impact on the level of homeless.Issues of ConcernAlcoholismAbuseDrug AddictionAccess to health careSecurity and SafetyStereotypes – All homeless people are old, lonely and drunksHomeless people face a variety of concerns in their daily lives that can impact on their quality of living. As it is, they’re without a home, but the temptations of drugs, alcohol and/or abuse as a means of coating this can become all too powerful. For many homeless people it is a concern that they will not be able to get their life back on track, or perhaps as a result of becoming homeless they may lose their way and get themselves into more trouble physically (their health) and/or mentally.In addition to this, their limited access to health care poses a great risk to their health as they may have restricted knowledge of the services available to them and they may also have limited funds to enable them to physically utilise and access them.A huge concern for this priority group is that the general public perceives a homeless person to be the stereotypical “drunk old man” when the reality is that we may see plenty of this ‘type’ of homeless people in our streets, but really if they were to look deeper into the situation, they’d be able to acknowledge that a homeless person can be a person of any age, gender or race. They may only be homeless for a night or two, or they may have been homeless their whole life; however the concern is that the general public do not understand the depth of the situation and the reality of it all. They fail to see the seriousness of the issue.Similarly, for the majority of homeless people their security and safety is a major concern. This is because people mistake those who are less fortunate to be weak and vulnerable. Typically, they take advantage of a homeless person who has nothing to give, purely for the feeling of power. Homeless individuals are on edge and feel at risk of being harmed. When you think about it, to have a home is to have a shield. A shield from the extreme weather conditions, a shield from intruders, and a shield that creates a private space. To be without this is to be open to public taunts and scrutiny, open to public opinions and disapproval of your condition.However for the majority of homeless people they are not in that position willingly. They may have made mistakes, but they would have fought very hard to be better off. For these reasons it is wrong for the public to wrongly assume that all homeless people are drug and/or alcohol abusers. They each deserve a chance at putting their lives back on track.The extent to which community service group assist in meeting the needs of specific groupsThe causes of homelessness are many and varied, they have significant needs but may not have the resources to access the services they need. Mission AustraliaMission Australia seek first to understand individuals and their families, and then work alongside them to help them overcome the varied challenges they face and break the cycle of homelessness.A service held within mission Australia is Nightspot Youth Homelessness Initiative.This is seen as an emergency, community placement model that provides a place for the homeless to stay for 1-3 nights; these places are in the homes of trained volunteers in the community. The host provides a bedroom, bathroom, laundry facilities and a chance to talk. The person is then offered pathways out of their situation by being directed to appropriate services such as counselling, and longer-term accommodation. Youth off the streetsYouth off the streets supports homeless and drug addicted young Australians as they work to turn their lives around. Outreach Services such as the food van service for youth off the streets is a service that is very successful in helping the homeless.It is the only food van service that operates 365 days a year specifically to feed the homeless and at risk young people, who are fleeing from dysfunctional and abusive environments. They provide more than 17,000 meals per year and crisis accommodation and counselling for hundreds of young people every year.Street smartStreet-smart Australia was established in 2003 to support and strengthen smaller community organisations helping the homeless, frustrated by the lack of action and support from the Government. Street-smart helps by raising funds and delivering financial grants; this raises community awareness of the issues of homelessness and assists these organisations to connect across their communities. Power: The possession of influence over others and the authority to dictate the actions of yourself and others.Tertiary: People in tertiary homelessness hold a certain amount of power in their residential community; this amount of power is dependant on their circumstances e.g. if a child runs away from home and stays at a friend’s home they may be required to pay board and make minimal decision amongst the household, therefore lacking in a powerful position. This differs from staying at a grandparent’s home who may be more lenient with the child meaning they have more influence over household decisions.Secondary: people living in secondary homelessness hold minimal power amongst their community as they are lacking in some basic needs; though living in a shelter or organised residents for homeless may result in a position of power amongst this community e.g. working with the Salvation Army Oasis team and aiding other people who are homeless in their rehabilitation.Primary: People in primary homelessness have no conventional refuge and relies on public areas such as train/bus sheds for shelter. These people are literally “living on the streets” therefore they have extremely minimal power amongst the community as they hold very little possessions and are often quiet and troubled due to their condition.The living conditions of these people render them unable to obtain things like a job or food meaning that they don’t hold a sufficient position in society to enable them power.Positive contributions to the community.Within the three types of homelessness, (tertiary, secondary and primary)the positive contributions made by this group are minimal, however themagazine titled “the big issue” contributes not only to the support infunding for the homeless but also supplies statistics and generalinformation on the issues that the homeless are facing to the generalpublic.This magazine gives some homeless people a purpose and a sense of positivewellbeing as they are doing something to help themselves and somewhatcontributing to the community. ................
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