Homelessness Week is a national annual event occurring the first week of August.
Over many years Shelter WA have hosted a range of events during this time. Events have drawn attention to the realities and impacts of homelessness and focused on solutions to address the impact of housing insecurity experienced by too many Western Australians.
In 2025 the focus of our Homelessness Week events was Homelessness Prevention. In 2026 the focus is Strong Workforce, Communities.
Homelessness Australia hosts Homelessness Week annually to raise and expand awareness of the impact of homelessness, and the solutions needed to prevent and end homelessness.
During the week homelessness services and community groups educate the community and advocate for change via national and local community events, media and social media activities.
See below for links and information for past Homelessness Week activities and events hosted by Shelter WA
2025
View all the key information about Homelessness Week 2025 here.
The theme in 2025 was Homelessness Prevention.
2024
View the events and other key information from Homelessness Week 2024 here.
The theme for the year was Homelessness Action Now.
2023
The theme for Homelessness Week 2023 was It’s Time to End Homelessness.
View the events and other key information from Homelessness Week 2023 here.
View a range of posts published in relation to Homelessness Week 2023 here.
2022
Homelessness Week 2022: Housing, Health and Homelessness
On Monday, 1 August 2022 Shelter WA held the official launch of this year’s theme in WA: Housing, Health & Homelessness. This chosen theme aims to discuss the opportunities for greater collaboration between health, housing and homeless services to reduce barriers and be more responsive to people experiencing homelessness, reducing the cycle of people in and out of the health system. The suite of events provided an opportunity to learn from best practice on how this can be done well and to inspire thinking around system change to better respond to the health and housing needs of people experiencing homelessness.
View the Homelessness Week 2022 launch page on the website here.
View the Homelessness Week 2022 Symposium on the website here.
View the Homelessness Week 2022 Climate, Health, Housing and Homelessness event on the website here.
A Communique was published following the events hosted by Shelter WA. The Communique can be viewed here.
View a range of other information published for Homelessness Week 2022 here.
2021
Shelter WA and the WA Alliance to End Homelessness partnered together for the official launch of Homelessness Week 2021, which will be opened by the Honourable Simone McGurk MLA, Minister for Community Services, Children’s Interests and Women’s Interests.
The event included:
View the Homelessness Week 2021 launch page here.
View a range of content shared on the Shelter WA website related to Homelessness Week 2021 here.
2020
Homelessness Week 2020 saw Shelter WA host a number of key events focused on First Nations homelessness.
Preventing Homelessness – Recovery After COVID-19
This event provided an opportunity to reflect on the impact on homelessness of COVID-19 on people, the community and services during the lock-down period, and as we look to recovery discuss what is needed to prevent a wave of new homelessness as Jobkeeper, Jobseeker, the moratorium on evictions and the mortgage deferrals put in place by the banks come to an end.
Members of the COVID-19 Homelessness Recovery Taskforce will reflect on the COVID-19 response and an overview of current thinking to prevent homelessness as a result of the pandemic. Through a facilitated discussion and Q&A session, scenarios were explored to understand what is needed to prevent a new wave of homelessness and housing insecurity across Western Australia.
First Nations International Solutions -using cultural strength to end homelessness
We are always eager to learn from good examples locally and internationally, and in 2020 we were delighted to welcome Margaret Pfoh, CEO of The Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) which is an Indigenous not for profit housing authority based in Vancouver Canada. AHMA oversees Aboriginal Housing providers, supports the development of new housing for Aboriginal people, manages Urban and Rural Housing portfolios and undertakes capacity development through training, consulting and advising member societies.
AHMA was created for Indigenous Peoples by Indigenous Peoples and is the first Indigenous Housing Authority in Canada. Margaret Pfoh will join us via Zoom to talk about their work and the importance of their community leading and driving their housing solutions.
This session was be facilitated by Mr Gordon Cole who reflected on how the Canadian approach could drive positive change in Western Australia.
Housing First in a First Nations Context
Housing First is an international, evidence-based approach to ending rough sleeping. This First Nations Housing First Workshop provides a platform for Aboriginal people and the community sector to discuss and shape a new project focusing on delivering Housing First in a First Nations Context.
This workshop will also included an overview of the principles of Housing First and an outline of the Department of Communities work to facilitate an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations strategy and Action Plan to ending rough sleeping for Aboriginal people, which has previously been outlined in the document ‘All Paths Lead to Home’, as a prelude to discussing how this new project should be shaped to deliver a Housing First for First Nations people.
Housing First – Policy into Practice Workshop
The workshop focused on how to put housing first policy into practice.
View a range of content shared on the Shelter WA website related to Homelessness Week 2020 here.
