This year’s national theme is ‘Homelessness Action Now’, highlights the collective actions needed by the community, together with all levels of Government and the community services sector, to address homelessness.
The WA Government, through the Department of Communities, is investing a record $3.2 billion in housing and homelessness measures over four years, which has already added more than 2,200 social homes, with a further 1,000 social homes currently under contract or construction throughout Western Australia.
Homelessness services are also boosted with close to an additional $140 million in homelessness initiatives in 2024 alone, including $70.2 million in the current State Budget to ensure continuation of more than 120 critical homelessness services across Western Australia.
As part of Homelessness Week 2024, the WA Government has announced a new process to cut red tape for community housing providers to boost social and affordable housing through the Community Housing Prequalification Scheme.
The Community Housing Prequalification Scheme being introduced by the Department of Communities will support and promote growth in the community housing sector by reducing procurement times and costs, allowing CHPs to prequalify for predetermined categories of developments.
The State Government has also reformed WA’s planning system to become the best in the nation by cutting red tape to accelerate the delivery of housing. These planning reforms cut red tape to make it easier for community housing providers to deliver social and affordable housing projects, through changes to the development application process.
Additional homelessness reforms include:
- the Djuripiny Mia 100 (DM 100) supportive landlord model which is delivering 100 homes in partnership with Housing Choices for rough sleepers across Perth, Peel and the South West;
- a $49 million expansion of the successful supportive landlord model to regional Western Australia;
- a record uplift in baseline funding for homelessness services across the State, including nearly $140 million to homelessness initiatives in 2024 alone;
- Common Ground East Perth, now under construction and expected to open in the second half of 2025, will provide 112 units for permanent, supportive housing for adults experiencing ongoing homelessness, rough sleeping and/or on low incomes;
- establishment of the Wandjoo Bidi supported accommodation service at the former Murray Hotel is providing low barrier, supported accommodation for rough sleepers, run by St Vincent de Paul. The facility complements other accommodation options in the Perth CBD for people who are sleeping rough, including Boorloo Bidee Mia in Wellington Street and Koort Boodja in Northbridge;
- establishment of Rough Sleeper Coordination Groups at key locations including Fremantle, Perth CBD, Geraldton, Bunbury, and Mandurah. These groups provide individual case management for rough sleepers at each location and bring service providers together;
- significantly invested in boosting assertive outreach, including by expanding the operation of Homeless Engagement, Assessment Response Team (HEART) to Stirling, Mandurah, and Rockingham;
- increased investment in referrals and data collection through the By-Name List, to actively add more people sleeping rough, and to ensure those in need are connected with relevant support services efficiently;
- establishment of the $2.2 million Country-Connect service, which aims to reduce instances of rough sleeping during medical treatment, for people travelling to Perth from the regions;
- $1.179 million funding to June 2026 to continue the Country Patient Health Support Service, established to support vulnerable patients with a history or risk of disengaging with health services, rough sleeping or adverse health outcomes who travel to Perth to access healthcare;
- establishment of new Aboriginal short-stay accommodation services in Perth and Geraldton to ensure safe, culturally-considered, and affordable short-term accommodation is available to support Aboriginal visitors from regional and remote areas;
- ongoing commissioning work towards the modernisation of service contracts and consolidation of multiple outreach services; and
- $6.3 million to expand Entrypoint and additional online referral services.
The innovative Djuripiny Mia 100 (DM100) program, which launched in partnership with Housing Choices in late 2022, is delivering 100 homes across the Metro, Peel and Bunbury areas. To date, the DM100 has delivered more than 75 homes and is supporting more than 150 individuals, including families with children, and is helping change the lives of vulnerable people with stable housing and access to intensive support.
The supportive landlord approach is being expanded regionally with $49 million committed to deliver 100 homes in selected regional locations, to be managed by community housing providers.
ADCO Construction Pty Ltd (ADCO) continues construction work to deliver the $70 million East Perth Common Ground project, with site-works well underway. The Common Ground model provides a mix of permanent housing options for people experiencing homelessness, rough sleeping or on low incomes, together with wraparound support services.
The WA Government is committed to improving coordination and delivery of homelessness services, underpinned by effective implementation of All Paths Lead to Home: Western Australia’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030.
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