As part of the State Government homeless reforms, the new advisory group sees the consolidation of a number of homeless working groups into a single Housing First Advisory Group to the Minister for Homelessness, focusing on Housing First approaches to reduce rough sleeping.
The Housing First Homelessness Advisory Group is made up of 11 women and six men, who have expertise from a range of areas including tenancy law, front line support services, local government and Community Housing Organisations.
The membership also includes people with personal or family lived experience of homelessness and those who deliver or have delivered services in regional and remote areas of Western Australia.
The Group will support and guide implementation of All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia's 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-30 (Strategy). It will provide advice to the Minister for Homelessness about reforms towards a Housing First and No Wrong Door approach across the homelessness sector, including addressing barriers in the system.
The Group, which will meet quarterly, will be chaired by Mr Mike Rowe, Director-General of the Department of Communities (Communities).
The 16 other members are:
- Mr Andrew Brien, Chief Executive Officer, City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder
- Ms Bettina (Tina) Ugle, Managing Director, Noongar Mia Mia
- Ms Cath Hart, Chief Executive Officer, Real Estate Institute of Western Australia
- Ms Corina Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Family Legal Service
- Mr Daniel Morrison, Chief Executive Officer, Wungening Aboriginal Corporation
- Mr David Pearson, Executive Officer, WA Alliance to End Homelessness and Chief Executive Officer, Australian Alliance to End Homelessness
- Ms Debra Zanella, Chief Executive Officer, Ruah Community Services
- Mr Jonathon Lake, Design Leader, Gresley Abas Architects
- Ms Jude Thomas, Director Place and Community, City of Mandurah
- Ms Kath Snell, Chief Executive Officer, Shelter WA
- Ms Kim Robinson, Program Support Officer Social Policy, WACOSS
- Ms Louise Olney, Director Building Communities, Minderoo Foundation
- Mr Michael Chester, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Uniting WA
- Ms Natalie Sangalli, General Manager, Housing Choices Western Australia Ltd
- Ms Samantha Drury, Chief Executive Officer St Bartholomew’s House (St Bart’s)
- Ms Sharon Gough, Chief Executive Officer, Indigo Junction.
Other homeless reforms introduced by the State Government, implemented by Communities, include:
- assisting a further 100 rough sleepers into 100 social homes in a supported landlord model in partnership with Housing Choices
- acquisition of the 30-room former Murray Street Hotel, to be transformed into low barrier, supported accommodation for people sleeping rough in the Perth CBD
- ongoing work towards the consolidation of multiple outreach services into a single service.
The East Perth Common Ground tender process closed on 8 February 2023 and the evaluation process is currently underway, with the 100 homes supported landlord initiative to provide an interim response to homeless accommodation during this process.
Find out more about the Housing First Homelessness Advisory Group.
