More homeless seeking help: report

A new report shows there has been a substantial increase in the number of homeless Australians seeking government help.

The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) is a federal and state government initiative aimed at providing services and housing to the country's homeless.

New figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show 187,000 homeless people used the program in the 2006-2007 financial year, the majority of them being young women.

The Institute's Felicity Murdoch says the increase in the numbers of people using the service reflects a number of new agencies that have been added to the program.

"It definitely shows that there's a need out there for these sorts of services, in that once you increase the scope of the program more people are accessing it and it's a very positive outcome in that people who are requiring assistance are able to get it now," she said.

"What we see is that young females particularly between the ages of 15 and 19 years are particularly likely to become a SAAP client."

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