Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund (SAIF) fact sheet
Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund (SAIF) fact sheet [218.6 kB]
The Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund (SAIF) has been established to build innovative, community-based supported accommodation places for people with disability. This initiative will help to address the shortfall in supported accommodation and respite for people with disability and their carers and families by creating up to 150 new places. This recognises that appropriate housing and support arrangements are critically important to supporting younger people with disability.
Supported accommodation places will be targeted at adults with severe or profound disability in need of supported accommodation or respite who may be on waiting lists and who may have ageing carers.
In some instances SAIF may also assist in reducing the number of young people in nursing homes or those at risk of placement in residential aged care.
Extra supported accommodation places will help take pressure off ageing carers who currently have little certainty about what will happen to their children when they are no longer able to care for them.
This funding is in addition to that which will be provided to state and territory governments through the National Disability Agreement (the Agreement) from 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2015. Under the Agreement, the Commonwealth Government will provide around $7.6 billion to the state and territory governments for increased and improved specialist disability services, such as supported accommodation, targeted support and respite.
The Agreement means that in 2014-15, the Commonwealth Government’s contribution will be around $1.4 billion, compared to $620 million in 2006-07.
How will the initiative be implemented?
For the first time, community organisations had the opportunity to apply directly to the Commonwealth Government for funding to build supported accommodation for people with disability.
Projects could include renovations to existing homes, pooled resources to build contemporary accommodation services close to community and health services, or the modification of established accommodation within the community.
Applicants needed to demonstrate that they had secured funding to meet ongoing support costs to sustain the supported accommodation either from a state or territory government or from alternative funding sources such as philanthropy. Applicants were also required to explain how they will fund the ongoing maintenance of the building.
Successful projects will deliver high quality innovative supported accommodation places with all places to be completed by 2014.
When will SAIF commence?
Applications for SAIF opened on 5 September 2011 and closed on 20 January 2012. Applications were assessed through a merit-based process, and funding offers to successful applicants were made from March 2012.
On 3 April 2012, the then Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, announced the 21 successful organisations that will build the 27 supported accommodation and respite projects for people with disability under the Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund.
How can I find out more?
More information about SAIF can be found on the FaHCSIA website.
For people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment please contact the National Relay Service:
TTY: 1800 260 402
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Internet relay: National RELAY Service website
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