❓ Question regarding the over-representation of Aboriginal people in WA's specialist homelessness services and the breakdown of Aboriginal homelessness across electorates. The answer provides data on homelessness by statistical area and service utilisation.
AnsweredQoN 4953Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Annual Report on Government Services (RoGS) released between 22 January and 1 February 2019, and note that: (a) Western Australia has the second highest representation (42%) of Aboriginal people in specialist homelessness services, despite only representing approximately 3.7% of the Western Australia population, and ask: (i) What is the explanation for this over representation; (ii) Across WA by electorate (including regional WA) what is the breakdown of Aboriginal homelessness and how are homelessness services being utilised; and (iii) What is the number of Aboriginal people across WA who utilise homelessness services on an ongoing or repetitive basis?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
7 May 2019
Responded by
Minister for Community Services
Response time
6 days
(a)
(i) Of people who access Specialist Homelessness Services in Western Australia, Aboriginal people have a higher representation than their representation in the general population. This over representation partly reflects the various targeted specialist programs and services supporting vulnerable Aboriginal people who are experiencing, or who are at risk of, homelessness.
The 2018 Homelessness in Western Australia: A review of the research and statistical evidence Report, prepared by the Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia for the Department of Communities (Communities), describes the complex reasons why Aboriginal people are more likely to experience homelessness than non-Aboriginal people. These reasons include:
(ii) Information giving a breakdown on Aboriginal homelessness and how homelessness services are being utilised is not available by electorate.
A table showing a breakdown of the estimated number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people experiencing homelessness on census night, by statistical area level 4 is below:
Statistical area level 4 region
Number of homeless* Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
Bunbury
72
Mandurah
44
Perth – Inner
23
Perth – North East
122
Perth – North West
44
Perth – South East
172
Perth – South West
65
Western Australia – Wheatbelt
70
Western Australia – Outback (North)
1198
Western Australia – Outback (South)
483
Total
2298
Data source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census of Population and Housing
*Under the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the definition of homeless people who fall into the following categories are counted as being homeless:
A table showing the number of Specialist Homelessness Services Aboriginal clients (classified by statistical area level 4) address in the week prior to seeking support by homelessness status at first presentation in 2017-18 is below:
Statistical area level 4 region
Homeless
At Risk
Not Stated
Total
Bunbury
175
137
23
335
Mandurah
69
147
15
231
Perth – Inner
332
96
21
449
Perth – North East
279
210
45
534
Perth – North West
232
183
18
433
Perth – South East
437
367
67
871
Perth – South West
367
424
53
844
Western Australia – Wheat Belt
235
213
13
461
Western Australia – Outback (North)
609
2,386
132
3,127
Western Australia – Outback (South)
908
686
144
1,738
Data source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: a focus report on housing and homelessness, supplementary table S6.16.
Note: This table excludes the housing categories, 'Homeless – Other' and 'At Risk – Other', therefore totals may not match other published tables.
(iii) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report 2017-18 shows that 9,580 Aboriginal people were provided with 15,596 periods of support (a length of time that clients are provided support) by Specialist Homelessness Services funded by Communities in 2017-18.
(i) Of people who access Specialist Homelessness Services in Western Australia, Aboriginal people have a higher representation than their representation in the general population. This over representation partly reflects the various targeted specialist programs and services supporting vulnerable Aboriginal people who are experiencing, or who are at risk of, homelessness.
The 2018 Homelessness in Western Australia: A review of the research and statistical evidence Report, prepared by the Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia for the Department of Communities (Communities), describes the complex reasons why Aboriginal people are more likely to experience homelessness than non-Aboriginal people. These reasons include:
(ii) Information giving a breakdown on Aboriginal homelessness and how homelessness services are being utilised is not available by electorate.
A table showing a breakdown of the estimated number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people experiencing homelessness on census night, by statistical area level 4 is below:
Statistical area level 4 region
Number of homeless* Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
Bunbury
72
Mandurah
44
Perth – Inner
23
Perth – North East
122
Perth – North West
44
Perth – South East
172
Perth – South West
65
Western Australia – Wheatbelt
70
Western Australia – Outback (North)
1198
Western Australia – Outback (South)
483
Total
2298
Data source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census of Population and Housing
*Under the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the definition of homeless people who fall into the following categories are counted as being homeless:
A table showing the number of Specialist Homelessness Services Aboriginal clients (classified by statistical area level 4) address in the week prior to seeking support by homelessness status at first presentation in 2017-18 is below:
Statistical area level 4 region
Homeless
At Risk
Not Stated
Total
Bunbury
175
137
23
335
Mandurah
69
147
15
231
Perth – Inner
332
96
21
449
Perth – North East
279
210
45
534
Perth – North West
232
183
18
433
Perth – South East
437
367
67
871
Perth – South West
367
424
53
844
Western Australia – Wheat Belt
235
213
13
461
Western Australia – Outback (North)
609
2,386
132
3,127
Western Australia – Outback (South)
908
686
144
1,738
Data source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: a focus report on housing and homelessness, supplementary table S6.16.
Note: This table excludes the housing categories, 'Homeless – Other' and 'At Risk – Other', therefore totals may not match other published tables.
(iii) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report 2017-18 shows that 9,580 Aboriginal people were provided with 15,596 periods of support (a length of time that clients are provided support) by Specialist Homelessness Services funded by Communities in 2017-18.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.