As was evident from the historical review of policy changes presented in Section 5.2, a
further aspect of residential care is the provider agency. Hostels have been and continue
to be largely the domain of the private not-for-profit sector, although the policy changes
of 1991 extending the payment of benefits to the private for-profit sector may lead to a
change in that pattern over the next decade. In June 1992, 94 per cent (48,146) of hostel
places were in the private not-for-profit sector. Of the remainder, virtually all were
government-run hostels (2,611 places), with less than 1 per cent in the private for-profit
sector (see Table 5.7).