Mayor’s pledge starts now

Both Shelter WA and the Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (Alliance) congratulate Mayor-elect Basil Zempilas and wish him well in his role as City of Perth Lord Mayor.

Work Starts Now

But the work to end homelessness must begin now. A blind eye cannot be turned away from the fact that tonight there are people living in tents due to a lack of housing.

“Mr Zempilas signed a pledge to end homelessness and we will hold him to it,” said Michelle Mackenzie, CEO of Shelter WA. “He knows the extent of this problem and we will work collaboratively with him to end rough sleeping in the city,” she said.

[L-R] Mayor-elect Basil Zempilas | Alliance Executive Officer John Berger.

Last month Shelter WA and the Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness held the Ending Homelessness Forum where each mayoral candidate signed a pledge to end homelessness.

“Homelessness requires a whole of community response,” Alliance Executive Officer John Berger said. “We need the lived experience, we need services, we need government we need local government, it is all our responsibility. A systems approach is the way that’s been used nationally and internationally to end homelessness,” he said.

The Pledge

The pledge outlines the five core strategic areas of the Western Australian Strategy to End Homelessness, which was developed collaboratively with hundreds of stakeholders within the WA homelessness eco-system.

These areas are;

  • Housing. Ensure adequate and affordable housing.
  • Prevention. A focus on prevention and early intervention.
  • A strong and coordinated response. A ‘no wrong door’ system that delivers responsive action.
  • Data, research and targets. Improve data, the evidence base on what works, systems knowledge and the accountability of the service system to achieve set goals.
  • Building community capacity. Solutions are sourced from those who have experienced homelessness.

“It is pretty simple to solve homelessness.” – Michelle Mackenzie, CEO of Shelter WA.

Social and Affordable Housing

“It is pretty simple to solve homelessness,” said Ms Mackenzie.

“We need good social and affordable housing and a great homelessness services system to support people who need that support. We can end homelessness and it is so important the City of Perth works with us to achieve that goal. The Perth Lord Mayor has a critical role in working with state government, federal government and our sector and people with lived experience.”

-Ends.

To read the WA Alliance to End Homelessness Strategy click here.

For media interviews with Michelle Mackenzie or John Berger, please contact Royceton Hardey, Digital and Social Media Coordinator | Shelter WA via email here. T: (08) 9325 6660.

Shelter WA brings together a strong coalition committed to diverse and affordable housing choice for all, with a particular focus on housing for people on very low to moderate incomes and groups that experience housing insecurity. Shelter WA undertakes research, engagement, policy development and strong advocacy to drive solutions to build an effective housing system and alleviate housing-related poverty. Our vision is that all people living in Western Australia have housing that enables them to thrive.

The Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness is a movement of individuals and organisations that have come together to end homelessness in Western Australia. Following an 18-month community consultation and engagement, the Alliance developed the WA Strategy to End Homelessness, collectively developed by representatives from homelessness services, people experiencing homelessness, service funders, and members of our community.