Annual Report 2002–03 Volume I



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Evaluations


FaCS completed an evaluation of the pilot to waive the Centrepay transaction fees of organisations offering no-interest loans under the No Interest Loan Scheme. The evaluation found:

the proportion of clients defaulting on their loans decreased

the administrative costs of organisations decreased

existing schemes have expanded to offer more loans and a small number of new schemes have been established

organisations have been able to develop some partnerships with the corporate sector.

An evaluation of the International Year of the Volunteer 2001 was completed during 2002 and met the required standards. The results of the evaluation were very positive and the Minister released the research report on 5 December 2002. The evaluation, undertaken by Quantum Market Research Pty Ltd, surveyed volunteers, grant applicants, volunteer resource centres and business and key stakeholder groups, including Volunteering Australia.


Output Group 2.1 I Housing Support

Contribution to Outcome 2


Housing Support contributes to Outcome 2 by:

assisting low and moderate income households to access appropriate affordable housing

supporting initiatives to assist homeless people.

Strategies


oversee the significant Australian Government investment in the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA), which aims to provide appropriate and secure housing assistance for those who most need it, for as long as they need it

identify emerging housing issues through research and analysis to inform policy development. Collaborate with the states and territories to achieve better social housing outcomes

manage the Rent Assistance program, which provides supplementary income to almost one million Australians in recognition of the additional cost of private rental housing

influence the response to homelessness issues through the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP), which provides support and accommodation services for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless

undertake policy development to prevent and address homelessness through the National Homelessness Strategy.

Outputs under Output Group 2.1

Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (for expenses under the Housing Assistance Act 1996)


Provides Australian Government grants of around $1 billion each year to states and territories to assist those people whose housing needs cannot be met in the private sector to access appropriate and affordable housing.

Commonwealth State Housing Agreement—Aboriginal Rental Housing Program


As part of the CSHA $91 million a year is provided to state and territory governments to supply Indigenous people with safe, healthy and sustainable housing.

Family Homelessness Prevention and Early Intervention Pilot


Comprises eight services. Centrelink and community agencies work in partnership to identify and assist families at risk of homelessness.

National Housing Priorities


Provided funding to support development of the community housing sector, including funding to support two community housing representative bodies, the National Community Housing Forum and the Community Housing Federation of Australia.

National Housing Research


Supplements the Australian Government’s $1.5 million annual core funding commitment to the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI). Funds may also be used for research, development, demonstration and evaluation in relation to housing.

Rent Assistance


Contributes to the improvement of housing affordability and complements broader income support objectives by assisting individuals and families with the additional costs associated with renting in the private housing market.

Rent Assistance is a non-taxable income supplement payable to those who receive an income support payment (except Austudy Payment) or greater than the base rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A.


Social Housing Subsidy Program


Demonstrates use of private sector financing models for providing social housing. New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory have projects under the program.

Supported Accommodation Assistance Program


Contributes to the reduction in homelessness through provision of Australian Government grants of over $167 million annually to states and territories.

Supported Accommodation Assistance Program —National Priorities


In 2002–03 under the SAAP National Priorities, funding was allocated to the National Homelessness Strategy. This includes a series of demonstration projects that provide grants to community agencies, Centrelink, consultants and other experts to implement action research projects that will inform future policy and program development to prevent and reduce homelessness.

Performance summary

Key achievements included:


successful negotiation of the 2003 CSHA with states and territories. This will provide $4.75 billion in Australian Government funding over five years from July 2003.

accommodation of 342 467 households in public housing at 30 June 2002 I meeting the needs of around 95 600 clients through 1286 services on 177 000 occasions of support through SAAP in 2001-02. SAAP recurrent funding (Australian Government and state and territories) increased $8.9 million in 2001-02 over 2000-01.

development of the SAAP National Research agenda focusing on trends in homelessness, causes of homelessness, groups with special needs and service delivery to homeless people I beginning the Family Homelessness Prevention Pilot in eight locations and providing assistance to around 225 families

support for the National Homelessness Conference, National Indigenous Homelessness Forum and a range of action research projects through the National Homelessness Strategy.


Work is required to:


negotiate bilateral agreements with each state and territory on local housing assistance strategies to implement the 2003 CSHA. In addition to existing performance requirements, the Australian Government will require the states and territories to reduce workforce participation disincentives for social housing tenants and attract investment from outside the social housing system.

further simplify the Rent Assistance program by reducing the number of Rent Assistance rate calculators in the Social Security Act 1991 from eight to one. This will make it easier for Centrelink to determine correct rates of Rent Assistance for customers.

complete homelessness research to provide information for policy-makers and service providers, to inform the national evaluation of SAAP IV and future national policy directions to address homelessness

monitor and evaluate the findings from the Family Homelessness Prevention Pilot and the Demonstration Projects under the National Homelessness Strategy



continue management of the AHURI research program.


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