HEART provides responsive, assertive outreach and intensive supports primarily for people who are experiencing chronic rough sleeping in collaboration with sector partners:
- St Patrick’s Community Support Centre St Pat’s) as the lead sector agency for HEART, is a specialised homelessness agency, both as a service and community housing provider, with a service suite including crisis assistance, alcohol and other drugs, mental health, legal, medical, allied health and dental services.
- Noongar Mia Mia, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, registered community housing organisation, and Housing First support service provider that delivers culturally secure and holistic supports, promoting a healing environment for Aboriginal people and communities.
- Uniting WA (Uniting) brings to HEART its significant experience supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, providing access to outreach, crisis support and supported accommodation.
- Indigo Junction Over 45 years of designing and delivering services within the Midland and broader North Eastern Metropolitan area. Indigo Junction delivers range of services across, housing, homelessness, family and domestic violence, children and family, youth and community services.
In 2024/25 The State Government is supporting a 15-month extension of the HEART grant and is expanding HEART operations into Rockingham and Stirling to continue the current outreach footprint.
The grant extension will see HEART supported through to 30 September 2025, following which the program is set to be implemented under the State Government’s Commissioning Plan.
HEART operations in the Perth CBD and surrounds is delivered through the Safe Perth City Initiative (the Initiative).
The Initiative is led in partnership by St Pats, Uniting WA, Indigo Junction, Noongar Mia Mia, i24s and the Department of Communities (Communities) and works collaboratively with the WA Police Force, City of Perth, City of Vincent, specialist homelessness services and other key stakeholders, with a focus on improving coordination through a collective approach.
The Initiative provides a suite of measures, including:
- Communities’ homelessness coordinators that facilitate coordination of responses and connecting vulnerable individuals to support and accommodation options;
- A dedicated outreach support service provided through HEART to connect and support vulnerable people with services that can assist them in a respectful and culturally safe way;
- Cultural Response Team delivered by Aboriginal organisation i24s, with a focus on community safety and culturally safe responses for people experiencing rough sleeping in the Perth CBD and surrounds;
- A greater police presence.
The unique partnership of HEART demonstrates the benefits of successful collaboration between government and the sector in responding to homelessness. These agencies are supported by the Office of Homelessness team within the Housing and Homelessness Division at Communities.
On 23 January 2024, the Cook Government announced $47.6 million in new funding to enable the continuation of 15 critical homelessness services across Western Australia and boost service capacity. This included:
- $7.8 million for HEART to continue its Perth metropolitan coordinated outreach response services, and
- $5.4 million for the Safe Perth City Initiative to provide dedicated flexible assertive outreach support services in the Perth CBD and surrounds including Return to Country functions.
