Homelessness Week 2021
1st – 7th August
Housing Solutions to End Homelessness
Since the lifting of the moratorium on rental increases and evictions in March 2021 and a shortage of suitable housing options, more Western Australians than ever before have been or felt at risk of homelessness.
WA has a first class strategy All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s 10-year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030, which provides the road map to end homelessness in the state. State Government investment into housing first homelessness initiatives are making an impact as will the two new Common Ground facilities and the supported accommodation for up to 100 people who sleep rough.
What’s On
A challenge we face at the moment in WA is a shortage of appropriate crisis, social and affordable housing options as well as support services, not only for the estimated 9,000 people experiencing homelessness but also for tenants that have faced or experienced homelessness as a result of the rental shortage.
The week aims to highlight the solutions that can be adopted, in both the short-term and long-term and to also to take a moment to reflect, reground and look at where to from here.
How you can be involved
Hosting an event?
Resources
Email your local member
Make a donation
Host your own event
- Let us know about it and we will promote it far and wide.
- Fill in the Homelessness Week Event form here.
View the calendar of events
Downloadable resources
Shelter WA have created a wide range of digital resources and factsheets for use throughout homelessness week.
Download them here
Any one of us could fall into homelessness
Homelessness is often hidden – The majority of people experiencing homelessness are living in severely overcrowded dwellings or moving from one temporary solution to another, for example on a friend’s floor or couch.
There is no one reason people access homelessness services. They do so for many reasons, including 1
- 37.2% due to domestic and family violence
- 46% due to financial reasons, including housing affordability stress
- 43.7% due to housing crisis (accommodation issues and needs)
Currently there are 17,000 households on the social housing waitlist (a 14% increase on this time last year)
2 out of 3 people presenting at homelessness services with a long-term housing need are turned away due to a lack of accommodation.
- It is more cost effective to provide a person with a permanent home and support than to cycle people in an out of hospital, mental health facilities and the homelessness services system. (Putting a roof over the heads of 10 rough sleepers saved WA’s hospital system more than 1450 overnight bed stays in a year — the equivalent of $2.2 million – Lisa Wood April 2021)
(AIHW, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2018)
Thanks to our sponsors
