❓ Hon Sue Ellery questions the Minister for Child Protection regarding a Mission Australia report on homeless children and the government's response to rising homelessness figures in WA. The Minister acknowledges the issue and highlights existing investments and initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 921Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
HOMELESS CHILDREN — MISSION AUSTRALIA REPORT
I refer to the report last week by Mission Australia, the Australian Centre for Child Protection and others that found children are the new face of homelessness, and to the damning figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare that the number of homeless children in Western Australia had risen to 8 400 in 2009–10 and that 3 700 of those children were under four years of age. (1) Has the minister read the Mission Australia report? (2) What new action will the Western Australian government take to ensure the next statistical report into homelessness in WA does not show a further increase in the number of homeless children? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY
I refer to the report last week by Mission Australia, the Australian Centre for Child Protection and others that found children are the new face of homelessness, and to the damning figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare that the number of homeless children in Western Australia had risen to 8 400 in 2009–10 and that 3 700 of those children were under four years of age. (1) Has the minister read the Mission Australia report? (2) What new action will the Western Australian government take to ensure the next statistical report into homelessness in WA does not show a further increase in the number of homeless children? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I am aware of Mission Australia’s report and have read the media reports on that. Yes, it does concern me greatly but we have put $135 million into homelessness in this state, we have 14 new services, we have given more money to refuges and we have Street to Home workers. Although they are focused on the older children, probably from age 16 to 18 and onwards, I realise that there are younger children who go to refuges with their mother or their significant other and that some families cannot get into those refuges. But I am trying my hardest with the money that we have from the state and federal governments—$135 million—which I think is the first time in history that a state has ever put so much money into homelessness, with our $68 million from the state government matched by the federal government. So, for the first time ever in the history of this state, over this four-year period we are actually working on outcomes for the betterment of homeless people.
(1) Has the minister read the Mission Australia report? (2) What new action will the Western Australian government take to ensure the next statistical report into homelessness in WA does not show a further increase in the number of homeless children? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: (1)–(2) I am aware of Mission Australia’s report and have read the media reports on that. Yes, it does concern me greatly but we have put $135 million into homelessness in this state, we have 14 new services, we have given more money to refuges and we have Street to Home workers. Although they are focused on the older children, probably from age 16 to 18 and onwards, I realise that there are younger children who go to refuges with their mother or their significant other and that some families cannot get into those refuges. But I am trying my hardest with the money that we have from the state and federal governments—$135 million—which I think is the first time in history that a state has ever put so much money into homelessness, with our $68 million from the state government matched by the federal government. So, for the first time ever in the history of this state, over this four-year period we are actually working on outcomes for the betterment of homeless people.
(2) What new action will the Western Australian government take to ensure the next statistical report into homelessness in WA does not show a further increase in the number of homeless children? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: (1)–(2) I am aware of Mission Australia’s report and have read the media reports on that. Yes, it does concern me greatly but we have put $135 million into homelessness in this state, we have 14 new services, we have given more money to refuges and we have Street to Home workers. Although they are focused on the older children, probably from age 16 to 18 and onwards, I realise that there are younger children who go to refuges with their mother or their significant other and that some families cannot get into those refuges. But I am trying my hardest with the money that we have from the state and federal governments—$135 million—which I think is the first time in history that a state has ever put so much money into homelessness, with our $68 million from the state government matched by the federal government. So, for the first time ever in the history of this state, over this four-year period we are actually working on outcomes for the betterment of homeless people.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: (1)–(2) I am aware of Mission Australia’s report and have read the media reports on that. Yes, it does concern me greatly but we have put $135 million into homelessness in this state, we have 14 new services, we have given more money to refuges and we have Street to Home workers. Although they are focused on the older children, probably from age 16 to 18 and onwards, I realise that there are younger children who go to refuges with their mother or their significant other and that some families cannot get into those refuges. But I am trying my hardest with the money that we have from the state and federal governments—$135 million—which I think is the first time in history that a state has ever put so much money into homelessness, with our $68 million from the state government matched by the federal government. So, for the first time ever in the history of this state, over this four-year period we are actually working on outcomes for the betterment of homeless people.
(1)–(2) I am aware of Mission Australia’s report and have read the media reports on that. Yes, it does concern me greatly but we have put $135 million into homelessness in this state, we have 14 new services, we have given more money to refuges and we have Street to Home workers. Although they are focused on the older children, probably from age 16 to 18 and onwards, I realise that there are younger children who go to refuges with their mother or their significant other and that some families cannot get into those refuges. But I am trying my hardest with the money that we have from the state and federal governments—$135 million—which I think is the first time in history that a state has ever put so much money into homelessness, with our $68 million from the state government matched by the federal government. So, for the first time ever in the history of this state, over this four-year period we are actually working on outcomes for the betterment of homeless people.
(1) Has the minister read the Mission Australia report? (2) What new action will the Western Australian government take to ensure the next statistical report into homelessness in WA does not show a further increase in the number of homeless children? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: (1)–(2) I am aware of Mission Australia’s report and have read the media reports on that. Yes, it does concern me greatly but we have put $135 million into homelessness in this state, we have 14 new services, we have given more money to refuges and we have Street to Home workers. Although they are focused on the older children, probably from age 16 to 18 and onwards, I realise that there are younger children who go to refuges with their mother or their significant other and that some families cannot get into those refuges. But I am trying my hardest with the money that we have from the state and federal governments—$135 million—which I think is the first time in history that a state has ever put so much money into homelessness, with our $68 million from the state government matched by the federal government. So, for the first time ever in the history of this state, over this four-year period we are actually working on outcomes for the betterment of homeless people.
(2) What new action will the Western Australian government take to ensure the next statistical report into homelessness in WA does not show a further increase in the number of homeless children? Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: (1)–(2) I am aware of Mission Australia’s report and have read the media reports on that. Yes, it does concern me greatly but we have put $135 million into homelessness in this state, we have 14 new services, we have given more money to refuges and we have Street to Home workers. Although they are focused on the older children, probably from age 16 to 18 and onwards, I realise that there are younger children who go to refuges with their mother or their significant other and that some families cannot get into those refuges. But I am trying my hardest with the money that we have from the state and federal governments—$135 million—which I think is the first time in history that a state has ever put so much money into homelessness, with our $68 million from the state government matched by the federal government. So, for the first time ever in the history of this state, over this four-year period we are actually working on outcomes for the betterment of homeless people.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied: (1)–(2) I am aware of Mission Australia’s report and have read the media reports on that. Yes, it does concern me greatly but we have put $135 million into homelessness in this state, we have 14 new services, we have given more money to refuges and we have Street to Home workers. Although they are focused on the older children, probably from age 16 to 18 and onwards, I realise that there are younger children who go to refuges with their mother or their significant other and that some families cannot get into those refuges. But I am trying my hardest with the money that we have from the state and federal governments—$135 million—which I think is the first time in history that a state has ever put so much money into homelessness, with our $68 million from the state government matched by the federal government. So, for the first time ever in the history of this state, over this four-year period we are actually working on outcomes for the betterment of homeless people.
(1)–(2) I am aware of Mission Australia’s report and have read the media reports on that. Yes, it does concern me greatly but we have put $135 million into homelessness in this state, we have 14 new services, we have given more money to refuges and we have Street to Home workers. Although they are focused on the older children, probably from age 16 to 18 and onwards, I realise that there are younger children who go to refuges with their mother or their significant other and that some families cannot get into those refuges. But I am trying my hardest with the money that we have from the state and federal governments—$135 million—which I think is the first time in history that a state has ever put so much money into homelessness, with our $68 million from the state government matched by the federal government. So, for the first time ever in the history of this state, over this four-year period we are actually working on outcomes for the betterment of homeless people.
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