A group of not for profits that joined forces 18 months ago with a mission to end homelessness will today publicly launch its 10-year plan on Adelaide Terrace, followed by a music event through the streets of the CBD.
A group of not for profits that joined forces 18 months ago with a mission to end homelessness will today publicly launch its 10-year plan on Adelaide Terrace, followed by a music event through the streets of the CBD.
The event will kick-start a #EndhomelessnessWA campaign aimed at shifting societal perceptions and runs from 3:30pm with music from 6pm.
The WA Alliance to End Homelessness comprises St Bartholomew’s House, Anglicare WA, St Vincent de Paul Society WA Inc, Foundation Housing, Ruah Community Services, UnitingCare West, Centre for Social Impact, and Wungening Aboriginal Corporation.
As outlined in its report, in its first year the alliance aims to achieve five key initiatives.
It aims to develop new state affordable housing targeting 15,000 new dwellings, implement policy preventing agencies from discharging people into homelessness, implement a ‘no wrong door approach’ meaning any human services outlet will identify a person’s needs quickly, ensure state government uses key performance indicators, and grow the EndhomelessnessWA campaign.
The collective will work with like-minded organisations, government, businesses and individuals to achieve goals.
Initiatives for 2019 include rolling-out Housing First programs across Perth, ensuring human services tackle underlying causes of homelessness, and developing a collaborative funding and resourcing mechanism.
Traditionally, people experiencing homelessness were expected to address the issues that led to their homelessness, such as mental illness or addictions, before they were housed, the report said.
Under a housing first approach, the alliance advocates swiftly moving people into appropriate housing before looking to tackle root issues, including domestic violence, mental illness and addiction.
“Australian and international research demonstrates that it costs less, on average, to provide appropriate housing and support to a person at risk of or experiencing homelessness compared with providing that same person with short-term and ongoing emergency and institutional responses and covering the health and other costs of homelessness,” the report said.
“This is particularly the case for those in chronic homelessness and facing serious mental health and other issues.”
According to the report 1,083 Western Australian were sleeping rough in 2016, and 1,055 were in supported accommodation for the homeless.
For homeless Western Australians supported to enter public housing through the National Partnership Against Homelessness program, the health system cost savings were $13,273 per person, per year, the report said.
The strategy outlines five key actions to be executed each year to ultimately reduce the inflow into WA homelessness services by 50 per cent by 2028 and end chronic rough sleeping.
