Transcript Slide 1

Strengthening Homeless
Services in WA
CHANTAL ROBERTS - EXECUTIVE OFFICER
DR SHAE GARWOOD - SENIOR RESEARCH AND POLICY
OFFICER
Outline
 About Shelter WA
 Consultation process to “Strengthen Homelessness
Services”
 Homelessness in WA and the policy context
 Findings from survey, interviews and forum
 Next steps
About Shelter WA
 NGO Peak Body
 Commitment to affordable, accessible housing and
security of tenure
 Focus on low income and other disadvantages, inc
homelessness
 Informed voice on housing policy and related issues
 Research, collaboration and consultation
Strengthening Homeless Services
 Survey, interviews, forums, advisory committee
 To shape an advocacy agenda to inform future
directions and policy advice
Homelessness in WA
 9,595 WA people homeless on Census night in
2011
 Additionally, over 7,000 people were marginally
housed
 Increased number of people seeking homelessness
services due to financial reasons
Homelessness in WA
 During 2012-13, an estimated 21,417 people
received support from a government-funded
specialist homelessness agency in Western
Australia
 Of these, 29% were under the age of 18
Regional & Remote Areas
 Regional & remote areas are generally
seeing an increase in homelessness
 Some areas such as the Kimberley in
WA are experiencing a significantly
higher rate of homelessness than the
rest of the state (540 persons per
10,000 compared to 43 per 10,000)
National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness
 Jointly funded by the Commonwealth and the
State
 Funding managed by the Department for Child
Protection & Family Support
 Focus on early intervention and prevention
 The Department of Housing provides housing
through 7 NPAH programs
NPAH Successes
 “NPAH … a catalyst to reform the homelessness
response in WA”
Street to Home
Safe at home
High success rate in clients who have been housed
Capital expenditure
contributed to Oxford Foyer
and St. Bart’s Lime St
Complex
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What barriers have you or your clients
experienced in getting appropriate services?
Are there any groups you feel are
under-served by the existing homelessness services?
What changes would you like to see?
Interviews with service providers
 NPAH has been successful at getting people into
homelessness services
 Lack of ‘exit points’ remains a big problem
 New cohorts of families and older women
 Overlap with mental illness and disabilities
Interviews with People at Kwinana Beach
Future of Homelessness Forum
80 participants
Conclusions:
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Collaboration between service providers and government agencies is required;
Homelessness services to work across a number of domains, especially employment and health;
Integrated services, working in partnership;
Clear and co-ordinated advocacy to ensure the voices of the people we represent are heard;
Continued and expanded homelessness research, especially longitudinal and Registry Week activities.
This in turn supports advocacy.
Future of Homelessness Forum
Conclusions (continued):
 Adequate funding for the sector;
 Government responsibility and accountability, and a bi
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partisan plan and approach to what is needed;
Housing to be treated as a social good, rather than a
treasury asset;
Celebrate success, especially with the State Government, as
this will continue to drive progress;
Continue to develop the community housing sector; and
Better use of underutilised or vacant dwellings, especially in
inner-city areas. This may require changes to Local
Government planning controls
Next Steps
 Interagency Homelessness Advisory Committee
 Advocating for ongoing homelessness funding
beyond June 2015
 Developing WA Housing Hub which will include
information, resources and tools for the housing and
homelessness sector
Thank you
Website: www.shelterwa.org.au
E-mail: [email protected]
Questions?