❓ The Minister for Community Services provides an update on the implementation of the Housing First Homelessness Initiative, detailing funding allocations, involved organisations, and the government's strategic approach to addressing homelessness in WA. The Minister also mentions visiting the Northampton relief centre and meeting with residents affected by the cyclone.
AnsweredQoN 31Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOMELESSNESS
31. Ms J.L. HANNS to the Minister for Community Services:
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record funding for homelessness services across Western Australia, including the government's $34.5 million
investment in the Housing First Homelessness Initiative. Can the minister update the house on the implementation of
the Housing First initiative, including who will be providing the services, and
will the minister outline to the house how this investment will help to support
those who are sleeping rough?
31. Ms J.L. HANNS to the Minister for Community Services:
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's record funding for homelessness services across Western Australia, including the government's $34.5 million
investment in the Housing First Homelessness Initiative. Can the minister update the house on the implementation of
the Housing First initiative, including who will be providing the services, and
will the minister outline to the house how this investment will help to support
those who are sleeping rough?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member very much for the
question. I look forward to working with her to address these issues in her
electorate as well as around the state.
It is important for people to know
that when we came to government in 2017, there was absolutely no strategic
approach to homelessness in Western Australia. The system was in a complete
mess. Funding was given to services on an annual basis, just year to year, and
there was absolutely no government strategy on how to address homelessness and
how to end it in the long run. We set about consulting with the community
sector. More than 500 organisations were
consulted in the development of our 10-year strategy on homelessness in Western
Australia, which has been described by the sector itself as a first-class,
world-class strategy. It is something that I am proud of. At the centre of that strategy is the Housing First approach, which
is to give people the right sort of accommodation while, at the same
time, giving them supports for as long as it takes for them to maintain their
strategy. For instance, the 50 Lives 50 Homes initiative in Perth, which is led
by a consortium of community organisations, including Ruah Community Services, revealed that 80 per cent of those who had been
rough sleepers and chronically homeless were still in accommodation
three years later. We are now investing, as the member said, $34.5 million in
this evidence-based approach. I am very proud that we started to roll out that
funding late last year and early this year. That started with Ruah having the
backbone system; we made sure that the structures were in place, that people
understood what the model was and that we had an evaluation of the
effectiveness of the work that was being done.
We
have also started to give contracts to a number of community organisations.
Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, St
Patrick's Community Support Centre in Fremantle, the Aboriginal Housing
First support services Noongar Mia Mia and
Ngalla Maya Aboriginal Corporation, Anglicare and Doors Wide Open have all been
given contracts in the Perth metropolitan area and Bunbury. The
contracts are worth $6.9 million in the metropolitan area and $2.5 million in Bunbury. I was very pleased to be in Geraldton
this morning to announce funding of $2.4 million to Centacare Family Services, which will be delivering the Housing First work in Geraldton. It will
employ outreach workers who will develop relationships with people who are
street present, get them accommodation and start to do that important work. As
I said, when we came to government four years ago, there was no such strategy.
There was no significant approach to homelessness except to hand over money to
the community sector, renew those funding arrangements year after year and
leave the community sector to its own devices. We have drawn the sector
together, consulted with it and drawn on the best evidence internationally for
a strategic approach which, as I said, the sector itself acknowledges is
world-class, and now we are investing new money in it.
I also took the time in Geraldton
this morning to go to the Northampton relief centre. They are People are doing
fantastic work there, including those from the Department of Communities. For
instance, I met Regina and Gordon, who have
come over from Queensland as volunteers for the Australian Red Cross. Red Cross
had asked for volunteers to go there. Some 60 to 100 people are coming
into that relief centre each day. It is important for that community to know
that we are still with them. We are thinking of them and are conscious of the
needs on the ground.
The Premier might be interested to
know that I met 91-year-old Edith Blood, who lives in Northampton and was in
her house during the cyclone. She said to pass on her regards to you. She said
she is quite fond of the Premier, so there you go.
question. I look forward to working with her to address these issues in her
electorate as well as around the state.
It is important for people to know
that when we came to government in 2017, there was absolutely no strategic
approach to homelessness in Western Australia. The system was in a complete
mess. Funding was given to services on an annual basis, just year to year, and
there was absolutely no government strategy on how to address homelessness and
how to end it in the long run. We set about consulting with the community
sector. More than 500 organisations were
consulted in the development of our 10-year strategy on homelessness in Western
Australia, which has been described by the sector itself as a first-class,
world-class strategy. It is something that I am proud of. At the centre of that strategy is the Housing First approach, which
is to give people the right sort of accommodation while, at the same
time, giving them supports for as long as it takes for them to maintain their
strategy. For instance, the 50 Lives 50 Homes initiative in Perth, which is led
by a consortium of community organisations, including Ruah Community Services, revealed that 80 per cent of those who had been
rough sleepers and chronically homeless were still in accommodation
three years later. We are now investing, as the member said, $34.5 million in
this evidence-based approach. I am very proud that we started to roll out that
funding late last year and early this year. That started with Ruah having the
backbone system; we made sure that the structures were in place, that people
understood what the model was and that we had an evaluation of the
effectiveness of the work that was being done.
We
have also started to give contracts to a number of community organisations.
Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, St
Patrick's Community Support Centre in Fremantle, the Aboriginal Housing
First support services Noongar Mia Mia and
Ngalla Maya Aboriginal Corporation, Anglicare and Doors Wide Open have all been
given contracts in the Perth metropolitan area and Bunbury. The
contracts are worth $6.9 million in the metropolitan area and $2.5 million in Bunbury. I was very pleased to be in Geraldton
this morning to announce funding of $2.4 million to Centacare Family Services, which will be delivering the Housing First work in Geraldton. It will
employ outreach workers who will develop relationships with people who are
street present, get them accommodation and start to do that important work. As
I said, when we came to government four years ago, there was no such strategy.
There was no significant approach to homelessness except to hand over money to
the community sector, renew those funding arrangements year after year and
leave the community sector to its own devices. We have drawn the sector
together, consulted with it and drawn on the best evidence internationally for
a strategic approach which, as I said, the sector itself acknowledges is
world-class, and now we are investing new money in it.
I also took the time in Geraldton
this morning to go to the Northampton relief centre. They are People are doing
fantastic work there, including those from the Department of Communities. For
instance, I met Regina and Gordon, who have
come over from Queensland as volunteers for the Australian Red Cross. Red Cross
had asked for volunteers to go there. Some 60 to 100 people are coming
into that relief centre each day. It is important for that community to know
that we are still with them. We are thinking of them and are conscious of the
needs on the ground.
The Premier might be interested to
know that I met 91-year-old Edith Blood, who lives in Northampton and was in
her house during the cyclone. She said to pass on her regards to you. She said
she is quite fond of the Premier, so there you go.
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