Background
In November 2019, the Premier and the Minister for Community Services launched All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020–2030 (the Strategy). The Strategy seeks to introduce a Housing First approach to homelessness that connects people to permanent housing with flexible and tailored supports. This is seen as a key foundation of the system change needed to end chronic homelessness.
Housing First Principles for Australia:
- People have a right to a home.
- Housing and support are separated.
- Flexible support for as long as needed.
- Choice and self-determination.
- Active engagement without coercion.
- Social and community inclusion.
- Recovery orientated practice.
- Harm reduction approach.
Alongside the launch of the Strategy, funding was announced to deliver the Housing First Homelessness Support Services (HFSS). The HFSS is a significant initiative under the Strategy that provides wrap around support to people sleeping rough in the Perth Metropolitan Area, Rockingham/Mandurah, Bunbury and Geraldton.
In 2021 the State Government committed $34 million for the delivery of HFSS, providing placed-based services with a specialist understanding of the local area. The Housing First Support Services are currently being delivered in:
- Perth Metropolitan - “Moorditj Mia”, Noongar Mia Mia
- Perth Metropolitan - “Mya Goryat Borloo”, Ruah Community Services
- Mandurah/Rockingham - St Patrick's Community Support Centre Ltd
- Geraldton - Centacare Inc
- Bunbury - Anglicare WA Inc
Housing First Support Services
The Housing First Support Services (HFSS) seek to ensure people who are sleeping rough are assisted to find and maintain suitable accommodation and housing. The HFSS works closely with the WA Alliance to end homelessness and the community services sector, under a collective impact model, to secure suitable accommodation, housing with appropriate wraparound supports to help people maintain successful tenancies and rebuild their lives.
To strengthen culturally appropriate responses, Noongar Mia Mia Aboriginal Corporation have been engaged to deliver the Aboriginal Housing First Support service. The service Moorditj Mia “Strong Home”, designed by Noongar Mia Mia provides culturally appropriate accommodation, employment, health, mental health, financial and social supports across the Perth metro area. Noongar Mia Mia has developed a unique framework to strengthen a culturally informed Housing First approach. The Noongar Cultural Framework and Noongar Housing First Principles create a solid foundation promoting culturally safe environments and housing and support services for Noongar people experiencing homelessness, their families, and communities.
Expansion of HFSS
As part of the 2024-25 State Budget a further A further $15.7 million has been allocated to expand HFSS, including:
- $6.7 million to support an expansion of the HFSS in the metropolitan area to ensure greater access to support services for those who need it; and
- $9 million to expand the HFSS in Geraldton, establish it in Albany and undertake initial planning and service design of HFSS in Kalgoorlie, to support the rollout of the Regional Supportive Landlord Model.
On 10 October 2024, a Registration of Interest (ROI) opened to establish HFSS in Albany to assist people experiencing homelessness. The ROI is now closed, planning for the implementation of the Albany HFSS is underway.
Further information regarding this process can be found on the Communities' news story ROI open to deliver more homelessness support for Albany.
