Supported Accommodation Assistance Act 1994

This means people in overcrowded homes, unsafe rentals, or escaping domestic violence can qualify.

What services can be provided

SAAP is meant to be transitional (temporary, not permanent) and can include:

• Emergency and supported accommodation (a place to stay with support)
• Case management (a worker helping coordinate your needs)
• Counselling and advocacy (someone speaking up for you)
• Referrals to health, mental health, disability, employment, and education services
• Early intervention to stop people becoming homeless in the first place

Key rules for how the program runs

• SAAP won't duplicate services already provided by other programs (so it fills gaps, not replaces what's there)
• Services must be tailored to specific groups including women, women with children, young people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, and families
• The program must be evaluated at least every 5 years
• Client privacy must be protected in any data collected
• Clients have rights, including access to grievance (complaints) and appeals processes

The Advisory Committee

A Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Homelessness (CACH) can be set up — made up of people with real expertise in homelessness — to advise the federal Minister on policy matters.

Money and accountability

• Federal funds flow to States under appropriated (Parliament-approved) budgets
• If a State owes money back to the Commonwealth under the agreement, it's treated as a legal debt

Why It Matters to You

If you are homeless or at risk, this law is the foundation for the services you can access through crisis shelters, women's refuges, youth services, and homelessness support workers across Australia. It sets minimum standards for how those services must treat you — with dignity and with a focus on helping you become independent.