Question regarding the prioritisation of youth crisis housing in the South West, Great Southern, and Wheatbelt regions within the government's budget, given observed lack of available beds. The Minister responds by highlighting the Housing First initiative and its potential benefits for young people.

AnsweredQoN 478Legislative Assembly
Asked
24 June 2020
Portfolio
Community Services

QuestionView source ↗

CORONAVIRUS —
AT-RISK YOUTH
478. Ms
M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Community Services:
I
have a supplementary question. The minister's own department has
observed that for close to a year the south west , great southern and
wheatbelt have all had close to zero available youth crisis beds. Has the
government prioritised crisis housing for youth in the south west, great
southern and the wheatbelt in its budget process?

AnswerView source ↗

One of the elements that I outlined
in my response was a bringing forward of the $34 million Housing First commitment that we announced last December. We
announced that in Bunbury because some of that Housing First work will be done in Bunbury. I was very pleased
to meet, with the member for Bunbury, a whole lot of stakeholders ,
service providers, the local council and the local regional development
commission to talk through our approach. We received a really good response
from the people who are working with homeless people on the ground and
understand that we need a strategic, evidence-based approach, and that is what
we are doing. The Housing First approach
includes some rental assistance for people to get into private rentals. Some of
that assistance will be available for young people. It will also take
pressure off the system which, in turn, can mean that young people can avail
themselves of some of the services that might be freed up.

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