Local Government
Homelessness Knowledge Hub
Shelter WA, in partnership with the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) and Local Government Professionals WA (LG Pro), has commenced a project to develop a Local Government Homelessness Knowledge Hub.
Background
Local governments are being called upon to play an increasing role in homelessness policy responses, particularly through facilitating localised responses to homelessness. All Paths Lead to a Home, the WA Homelessness Strategy 2020-2030, outlines a role for Western Australian local governments. The Western Australian State Government has committed $6 million over the next four years for a Local Government Partnership Fund for Homelessness towards new local government initiatives to respond to and prevent homelessness around Western Australia. A number of local governments have developed local and regional homelessness strategies; however, others lack the information and resources to do this.
March 2022 Project Update
The Project
Shelter WA has been awarded a Strengthening and Adapting Organisations Grant from Lotterywest to undertake the Local Government Homelessness Knowledge Hub Project (the Project) in partnership with the WA Local Government Association and Local Government Professionals WA. The centrepiece of the Project will be the establishment of an online homelessness resource (a Local Government Homelessness Knowledge Hub) for local governments to share information and to inform evidence-based homelessness responses that respond to community needs. The Project will facilitate access to case studies, templates, training and examples of best practice in strategic and policy responses to homelessness.
The aim of providing these resources is to better equip local government across WA to respond to homelessness at a local level in a strategic way.
Contact
Erika Everitt is on secondment to Shelter WA from the City of Joondalup to lead this project. For further information about this project, or to express an interest in being involved, please contact Erika Everitt at Shelter WA: erika@shelterwa.org.au or (08) 9325 6660.
There has been a new wave of people experiencing housing insecurity and facing homelessness.
As a result of COVID-19 and a very tight housing market many new people are finding themselves in housing insecurity or experiencing homelessness. Feedback from the community sector is that this group has not had touchpoints with the social services system and as such are reaching out to local governments for support. Local governments in partnership with the community sector are working to address this. There is an increase in homelessness across WA and residents have been contacting their Local Government Authority (LGA) when they become aware of people sleeping rough to see what can be done to provide housing or support for rough sleepers. The preparedness and ability for LGA’s to respond to these enquires varied enormously.
The Local Government Sector is well positioned at facilitating local partnerships and coordinating place-based responses to homelessness in their community and most do not take a punitive regulatory approach to rough sleepers. For many LGA’s the challenge to responding to homelessness is that the response is not informed by a clear strategy, meaning Local Government is often not able to best respond at the local level.
All Paths Lead to a Home, the WA Homelessness Strategy 2020-2030 outlines a role for Western Australian local governments. Although a number of local governments have developed local and regional homelessness strategies, others lack the information and resources to do this.
Reference group members
Sixteen representatives from across the state have come together to discuss strategies to support and better equip local governments to respond to homelessness at a local level.
Find out more about the individuals who will bring together case studies, templates, and examples of best practice in policy, strategy and program responses to homelessness.
Funded by Lotterywest, Shelter WA in partnership with the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) and Local Government Professionals WA (LG Pro’s) will develop an online hub that will facilitate access to best practice examples and case studies, and enable better collaboration between local governments and the community services sector, to prevent and to respond to homelessness.
