Homelessness in the City of Swan

Ordinary Meeting of Council 14 February 2018

13.3 HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF SWAN

Ward: (All Wards) (Lifespan Services)

Disclosure of Interest: Nil

Authorised Officer: (Executive Manager Community Wellbeing)

KEY ISSUES

• There is indicative prevalence of homelessness in the City of Swan (‘the City’);

• The City has identified current services from a range of service organisations available in the City of Swan to address homelessness;

• There has been an assessment of current gaps in service provision;

• Recommendations for responses the City can undertake in the short, medium and long term to help in addressing homelessness are proposed.

It is recommended that Council resolve to:

1) Endorse the recommendations for short term responses to address homelessness and street presence;

2) Endorse the development of a cross-functional working group to deliver recommendations for medium term responses;

3) Endorse the continued monitoring of homelessness within the City of Swan; and

4) Request a further report be provided to Council prior to any specific budget being allocated to any proposed City actions.

BACKGROUND

The increase in instances of homelessness, and media coverage of homelessness in the City, indicated a need for some evidence based research on homelessness. This report represents the findings from a desktop review of literature and information gathered from consultations with City place-based staff, homelessness service providers, community groups; and people experiencing homelessness in the City of Swan.

There is anecdotal evidence of an increase in people sleeping rough in public areas, including vehicular residency within the City. Cases reported in the City include rough sleepers taking shelter against City owned buildings such as Midland Public Library, The Midland Town Hall, The Old Midland Courthouse and buildings owned by local businesses. Other cases recorded include hidden homeless (people living in numerous homes, but no permanent address), homeless young people, people living out of their cars, use of church and shopping centre car parks, public open space, parks and bush camping particularly in Rural Place.

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DETAILS

Homelessness is a complex issue and does not exist in isolation. Rather, structural and personal drivers create pathways into homelessness. Agencies and individuals consulted during the development of the City of Swan Homelessness Report were asked to describe the main drivers for homelessness in the City of Swan. Housing issues and family and domestic violence were the most frequently described main drivers of homelessness.

The Homelessness Report was developed to provide the current data about the number of homeless people in the City and the demand for housing; key issues affecting people experiencing homelessness in the City; identifying current services available in the City addressing homelessness, and assess current gaps in service provision. The report contains a list of services available in the City of Swan (refer to Appendix 1 in the attached report). Services currently available include but are not limited to counselling, advocacy, accommodation, emergency relief, preventative and outreach services. Refer to the attached Homelessness in the City of Swan Report.

Feedback from consultations shows that the key issues affecting people experiencing homelessness in the City of Swan included:

• Lack of facilities e.g. places to charge mobile phones. Respondents noted that they use the City libraries or trespass into vacant houses;

• Lack of storage facilities to store personal belongings;

• Lack of personal care facilities for rough sleepers, for example, toilets, showers, clothes washing facilities, storage facilities and phone charging outlets. Coping mechanisms noted include travelling to adjacent local government areas to access such facilities and accessing charity collection bins to collect clean clothing;

• Complexities in navigating Centrelink and Medicare service systems;

• Inability to cope with the rules and regulations in hostels or emergency accommodation. In addition, hostels or emergency accommodation can expose homeless people to other homeless people who have high-risk behaviours, for example, vulnerable people with high incidences of alcohol dependency.

In addressing homelessness experienced in the City of Swan, evidence from the investigation and findings from consultation with key stakeholders and people experiencing homelessness informed the formulation of short, medium and long term recommendation.

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The short term recommendations include:

Recommendation Detail Collect data on • Identify customer service enquiries or homelessness, monitor notifications related to homelessness recorded in community’s access to local Pathways system. homelessness services and • Identify population at risk of homelessness increase knowledge of through outreach services. service gaps in the City of • Report and document the number and location of Swan. rough sleepers cited by City Customer Advocates and staff working in public spaces. • Collect homelessness statistics from local service providers. Developing a directory of • Listing free and low cost services available in the services to facilitate City of Swan from different organisations, information sharing, including free and cheap food, accommodation, networking and referrals. emergency and crisis services. • Providing a link via the City website and directories made available at community venues in the City of Swan Investigating opportunities to • Investigate funding options to outreach and improve the provision of referral services to support people who sleep basic personal care facilities rough in the City of Swan; and emergency relief. • Provide funding to outreach and referral services to support people who sleep rough in the City of Swan. • Explore the feasibility of drop-in or day centres in response to street-present homelessness. These can provide basic personal care facilities for rough sleepers; including toilets, showers, clothes washing facilities, storage facilities and phone charging outlets. • Examination of current activities undertaken by other local governments and homelessness- related issues being experienced in their municipalities, and the type of activities or support that they are involved in to address these issues. Identify best practice examples and how they can be replicated in the City of Swan. • Supporting community groups providing food services e.g. food banks for people experiencing and at risk of homelessness.

The provision of these short term recommendations will be resourced within existing operation budget, primarily via existing staff time and no additional resources will be required. Prior to progressing the medium term and long term recommendation in this report an internal working group will be formed and any actions requiring additional budget or staff resources will be presented to Council in a subsequent report.

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CONSULTATION

The key stakeholders and informants that were consulted include:

• Service providers and community organisations consulted were Dreambuilders Care, Anglican Ascension Church, Rise Community Network, Dungeon Youth Centre, Altone Youth Services, Jacaranda, Meerilinga, Youth Futures WA - COMET Caversham and St Brigid’s Parish;

• City of Swan management has also consulted with Indigo Junction on a number of occasions concerning homelessness in the City;

• People experiencing homelessness in Midland and Altone. Respondents were aged between 26 and 56 years. Respondents included rough sleepers, people living from their cars, people living in overcrowded houses and staying in temporary, unstable or substandard accommodation.

The resulting Homelessness Report was presented to Council at a Briefing on 9 August 2017.

ATTACHMENTS

Current State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS

G2.1.2 Improve organisational systems

G2.1.3 Strengthen customer service

Category 5 - Customers and other stakeholders in Australian Business Excellence Framework (ABEF)

Critical area for improvement as a result of Organisational Self-Assessment (OSA) against ABEF

STATUTORY IMPLICATIONS

Nil

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

It is expected that the short term recommendations are to be of no additional costs to the City as they are to be implemented within existing staff and budget resources.

Medium to long term recommendations tabled in the Report will require a cross functional working group to assess the feasibility and resources required. If additional resources are required these findings will be presented to Council in a subsequent report.

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VOTING REQUIREMENTS

Simple majority

RECOMMENDATION

That the Council resolve to:

1) Endorse the recommendations for short term responses to address homelessness and street presence.

2) Endorse the development of a cross-functional working group to deliver recommendations for medium term responses.

3) Endorse the continued monitoring of homelessness within the City of Swan.

4) Request a further report be provided to Council prior to any specific budget being allocated to any proposed City actions.

MOTION that the Council resolve to adopt the staff recommendation.

(Cr Kovalevs - Cr McCullough)

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY TO:

1) Endorse the recommendations for short term responses to address homelessness and street presence.

2) Endorse the development of a cross-functional working group to deliver recommendations for medium term responses.

3) Endorse the continued monitoring of homelessness within the City of Swan.

4) Request a further report be provided to Council prior to any specific budget being allocated to any proposed City actions.

Page 5 Homelessness

Current State of Homelessness in City of Swan

Prepared by: Lifespan Services June 2017

State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

Table of Contents

Contents 1.0 Background ...... 3 1.1 Defining Homelessness ...... 4

2.0 Methodology ...... 4 2.1 Description of Respondents ...... 5

3.0 Homelessness Policy Overview ...... 5 3.1 International ...... 5 3.2 National ...... 5 3.3 State ...... 6 3.4 Local ...... 6

4.0 Homelessness in the City of Swan ...... 6 4.1 Who is at Risk of Becoming Homeless in the City of Swan? ...... 6 4.2 Drivers for homelessness in the City of Swan ...... 8 4.3 Key Issues Affecting Homeless People in the City of Swan ...... 8 4.4 Who is Homeless in the City of Swan? ...... 8 Table 1: Prevalence of Homelessness in Perth North-East Metropolitan Region (2011)...... 9 Table 2 Marginally Housed in Perth North-East Metropolitan Region (2011) ...... 9 4.5 Service Provision...... 10 4.5.1 Gaps in Addressing Homelessness in the City of Swan ...... 11

5.0 Recommendations for Addressing Homelessness in the City of Swan ...... 12 Table 3: Recommendations for Addressing Homelessness in the City of Swan – Short-term options ...... 13

6.0 Conclusion and Future Directions ...... 14

References ...... 16

Appendix 1: Homelessness Services, Programs and Initiatives in the City of Swan 18

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

1.0 Background

Access to safe, secure, affordable housing underpins the economic and social wellbeing of households and their communities. Homelessness includes people who are sleeping rough, as well as people staying in temporary, unstable or substandard accommodation. Many people who are homeless cycle between homelessness and marginal housing. Homelessness is not just a housing problem; it has many drivers and causes. These include the shortage of affordable housing, long term unemployment, mental health issues, substance abuse and family and relationship breakdown. Among women, domestic and family violence is the main reason for seeking help from specialist homelessness services (FAHCSIA, 2008). The real costs of homelessness are seen in dollar terms across the criminal justice system, welfare agencies, mental health services, schools and in health centres and hospitals. At the local level, the social costs are also significant including increasing crime rates, increased levels of violence impacting on community wellbeing including physical, mental and emotional stress (DCPFS, 2016). A comprehensive response to homelessness requires commitment and involvement by not-for profit community sector organisations, industry and all levels of government.

The increase in instances of homelessness, and media coverage of homelessness in the City of Swan, indicate a need for evidence based research on homelessness. There is anecdotal evidence of an increase in people sleeping rough in public areas, including vehicular residency within the City of Swan. Cases reported in the City include rough sleepers taking shelter against City owned buildings such as Midland Public Library, The Midland Town Hall, The Old Midland Courthouse and buildings owned by local businesses. Other cases recorded include hidden homeless young people, people living out of their cars, use of church and shopping centre car parks, public open space, parks and bush camping particularly in Rural Place.

This report represents the findings from a desktop review of literature and information gathered from consultations with City place-based staff, homelessness service providers, community groups and people experiencing homelessness in the City of Swan. The objectives of this paper are to:

x Determine the prevalence of homelessness in the City of Swan; x Identify current services available in the City of Swan to address homelessness; x Assess current gaps in service provision; and x Recommend best practice initiatives for addressing homelessness.

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

The report includes a review of the policy context, analysis of census data on homelessness, factors contributing to homelessness, service provision, gaps in addressing homelessness and possible approaches to respond to homelessness.

1.1 Defining Homelessness

Due to its complexity, homelessness is difficult to define. Homelessness can mean different things to different people. A statistical definition of homelessness has been adopted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to estimate the prevalence of homelessness in Australia. The City of Swan refers to homelessness as defined by ABS, which is;

“when a person does not have suitable accommodation alternatives they are considered homeless if their current living arrangement:

Is in a dwelling that is inadequate; or has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable; or does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations.” (ABS, i 2012)

The definition acknowledges that homelessness is not only characterised by ‘rooflessness’ or a lack of shelter, whether temporary or long term, but the insecurity of housing and the inappropriate nature of that housing. The definition acknowledges the lack of safety and social exclusion as an expression of homelessness and reflects the reality that in some situations people may reject acceptable forms of housing for reasons of personal safety and the safety of children.

2.0 Methodology

The City of Swan State of Homelessness Report has been developed in line with the University of Adelaide’s Tool Kit for Local Government in addressing homelessness (Prance, Beer, Horne 2013). The methodology undertaken to develop this report included:

a) Stage 1: Review of Literature- Review of international, national and state policy frameworks for homelessness. Literature review also included best practice initiatives for addressing homelessness including approaches adopted by other local governments b) Stage 2: Demographic Analysis- Statistical analysis of 2011 census data on homelessness for the Perth North-East metropolitan region and City of Swan c) Stage 3: Stakeholder consultations- Consultation with City of Swan staff, service providers, community organisations in the City of Swan and people experiencing homelessness

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan 2.1 Description of Respondents

The purpose of this report is to provide a thematic analysis. The consultations were largely qualitative and the survey sample was not a statistical representation of the population experiencing homelessness in the City of Swan. Thus the report does not include the data or percentage breakdowns for responses to the interviews.

x Service providers and community organisations consulted were Dreambuilders Care, Anglican Ascension Church, Rise Community Network, Dungeon Youth Centre, Altone Youth Services, Jacaranda, Meerilinga, Youth Futures WA - COMET Caversham and St Brigid’s Parish; x City of Swan management has also consulted with Indigo Junction on a number of occasions concerning homelessness in the City; x City of Swan Staff consulted were from Swan Volunteer Resource Centre, Midland and Ellenbrook library, Community Development, Youth Development, Altone Leisure Centre, Ballajura Leisure Centre and Customer Advocates; and x People experiencing homelessness in Midland and Altone. Respondents were aged between 26 and 56 years. Respondents included rough sleepers, people living from their cars, people living in overcrowded houses and staying in temporary, unstable or substandard accommodation Midland - 11 people were interviewed, 8 male respondents and 3 female respondents Altone – 4 people were interviewed, 3 female respondents and 1 male respondent

3.0 Homelessness Policy Overview

3.1 International

The international response to homelessness is guided by the United Nations Human Rights Covenants and legislation of which Australia is a signatory. Homelessness, inadequate housing and forced evictions represent violations of international human rights. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) recognises the right to adequate housing which is more than just shelter but adequate privacy, adequate space, adequate security, adequate lighting and ventilation, adequate basic infrastructure and adequate location with regard to work and basic facilities-all at a reasonable cost.

3.2 National

At the federal level the Australian Government Policy: The Road Home –A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness 2007 outlined a strong commitment to ensuring that no one in Australia is homeless and set an ambitious target to halve homelessness and offer supported accommodation to all rough sleepers by 2020. In 2009, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Intergovernmental Agreement endorsed the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA). The NAHA is an ongoing agreement which sets out a number of measures seeking to address housing affordability and combat the issue of homelessness, including: social housing, assistance to people in the private rental market, specialist services for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and strategies to improve affordability of home ownership.

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

3.3 State

In Western Australia, The Department of Communities (DoC) is the lead agency responsible for the coordination and implementation of funding for homelessness services through the NAHA and the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH). The Department of Communities - Child Protection and Family Support receives a portion of the Commonwealth Government funds allocated to Western Australia for the NAHA, with the remaining funds administered by the Department of Communities - Housing. Approximately 89% of NAHA funding for DCPFS is allocated to crisis and transitional accommodation services including refuges and the remaining 11% to support services including day centres, tenancy support programs, and outreach and support programs including support for young people leaving child protection (DCPFS, 2016). Through the NAHA and NPAH, critical safety net services have provided crisis and transitional accommodation, support and outreach services to help vulnerable Western Australian’s from falling through the gaps.

3.4 Local

The role of the City in addressing Homelessness is linked to its position as the ‘third tier’ of Australian governance, which is the closest to the people. Local governments play a coordinating role, bringing together material, social and community resources to prevent and end homelessness. The City has conducted a service gap analysis which also included services related to homelessness across the Place Management Areas.

The Urban Housing Strategy was developed to address future housing needs resulting from rapid population growth and to ensure the long term sustainable future of residential development within the City. The Strategy has the capacity to generate significant positive changes supporting an accessible, well connected and sustainable community where people of all ages and abilities can access housing that meets their varied needs. The City supports the objectives of the Department of Communities - Housing 'Opening Doors' strategy which seeks to maximise affordable housing opportunities by facilitating the expansion of affordable housing by setting targets for the provision of affordable housing.

The City intends to develop a homelessness plan/strategy or a protocol to outline the course of action to be taken by City employees when they encounter people who are homeless and rough-sleeping on City property.

4.0 Homelessness in the City of Swan

4.1 Who is at Risk of Becoming Homeless in the City of Swan?

Research shows that local individuals and families experiencing homelessness or at a high risk of becoming homeless include:

x A person who cannot access affordable and secure housing - there is added vulnerability for households in the private rental market, particularly households receiving incomes below the poverty line. In 2011, 16.2 % of the household in the City of Swan earned $600 or less per week lower than the State average of 18.6%. 17.6% were renting privately less than the State average of 23%. Similar to the State average, 4.4% of the households in the City were in social housing;

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

x Women, children and young people who are escaping family violence – Approximately 40% of family homelessness is attributed to being caused by family violence. Family breakdown, domestic violence, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and substance misuse are strongly linked to homelessness amongst children and young people (NYC, 2008); x People with unmanaged mental health difficulties are more likely to experience repeated episodes of homelessness or remain homeless long-term. They are also more likely to experience rough sleeping or and move between crisis accommodation services (FAHCSIA, 2008); x People who lose their jobs and struggle to secure adequate hours of work for an income that can cover the costs of rent, food and heating ending up in their cars-this is often referred to as hidden homelessness. In 2011, 4.8 % of the City of Swan population was unemployed and youth unemployment rate was 10.2%. 31.1% of those employed were working part-time; x People previously working and renting or paying a mortgage who become injured or seriously unwell and unable to return to full time workYoung people leaving state care- Research also highlights an over-representation of care leavers among the homeless (Johnson et al. 2009). Young people leaving state out of home care (OHC) have complex needs and often find it challenging to cope with the multiple transitions they have to make in a short period of time. Some of these young people are at risk of lifelong poverty, poor health and chronic social exclusion. The struggle to access or maintain accommodation is a key factor contributing to these poor outcomes; x People on a Centrelink income such as an Age or Disability Support Pension or unemployment benefits and unable to secure affordable housing. Consultations revealed that Centrelink payments are not sufficient to cover rent even with accommodation supplement; x Seniors who have not achieved home ownership by retirement are at great risk of significant disruption on retirement. These risks include a greater chance of moving to less secure tenure in low cost and often substandard and inappropriate housing for their needs as they age. Census results for 2011 show that approximately 13.6% of the people aged 55 years and above were in rental accommodation; x Humanitarian entrants and Refugees – Housing and homelessness are primary concern for refugees and humanitarian entrants who struggle to secure sustainable and appropriate housing (Refugee Council of Australia, 2013). The City of Swan LGA had the second highest number of Settlement Grant Programme (SGP)1 target group arrivals in the East Metropolitan Statistical Sub-Division (SSD) for the period 2013- 2014. During this period, there were a total of 885 arrivals, of which 319 people were humanitarian entrants and 566 people were family stream entrants (DIABP, 2014); and x Indigenous- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented in the homeless population and are also over-represented among users of services provided by specialist homelessness agencies (AIHW, 2014). 3.0% (3 208 people) of City of Swan population were people of Aboriginal or Torres Islander background higher than the City of Perth (1.6%).

1 SGP target group‟ is a Department of Immigration and Border Control term that refers to permanent residents who have arrived in Australia in the last five years as: humanitarian entrants; family stream migrants with low English proficiency

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

4.2 Drivers for homelessness in the City of Swan

Homelessness is a complex issue and does not exist in isolation. Rather structural and personal drivers create pathways into homelessness. Respondents were asked to describe the main drivers for homelessness in the City of Swan. Housing issues and family and domestic violence were the most frequently described main drivers of homelessness:

x Housing issues noted included lack of affordable and/or suitable accommodation options and lack of crisis accommodation. x Financial and economic issues - hardship comprising unemployment and inability to secure stable employment, low income or loss of income. x Parental abuse and violence x Mental illness x Drug and alcohol abuse x Relationship breakdown

4.3 Key Issues Affecting Homeless People in the City of Swan

Feedback from consultations shows that the key issues affecting people experiencing homelessness in the City included:

x Lack of facilities e.g. places to charge mobile phones. Respondents noted that they use the City libraries or trespass into vacant houses; x Lack of storage facilities to store personal belongings; x Lack of personal care facilities for rough sleepers. For example, toilets, showers, clothes washing facilities, storage facilities and phone charging outlets. Coping mechanisms noted include travelling to adjacent local government areas to access such facilities and accessing charity collection bins to collect clean clothing; x Complexities in navigating Centrelink and Medicare service systems; and x Inability to cope with the rules and regulation in hostels or emergency accommodation. In addition, hostels or emergency accommodation can expose homeless people to other homeless people who have high-risk behaviours, for example, vulnerable people with high incidences of alcohol dependency.

4.4 Who is Homeless in the City of Swan?

Current data of homelessness in the City of Swan is derived from the available Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The statistics present estimates of prevalence of homelessness on Census night, derived from the Census of Population and Housing using the ABS definition of homelessness. Thus, prevalence is an estimate of how many people experienced homelessness at a particular point-in-time. The 2011 census date for the City of Swan shows that 284 people were experiencing homelessness and 258 were living in marginal housing (ABS, 2012). These figures are evident in the sustained, increasing unmet demand being reported by local homelessness services and the increasing waiting lists of public and community housing providers. 2016 census data was unavailable at the time of report writing and new data is expected to be released late 2017.

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

The ABS uses six homeless operational groups to present the estimates of homelessness. Table 1 shows the estimates of homelessness, by operational groups for Perth North-East Metropolitan Region. City of Swan has the highest numbers of people experiencing homelessness in the Perth North-East Metropolitan Region. It is of importance to note that the statistics are only estimates of people who were likely to have been homeless at one point in time. ABS recognises that some groups of people including rough sleepers and people staying in supported accommodation for the homeless are at risk of being under enumerated in the Census. It is also of importance to note that some service providers are not listed under homelessness service provider thus their data on homeless people would not be reflected in the census data.

Table 1: Prevalence of Homelessness in Perth North-East Metropolitan Region (2011)

Swan Mundaring Bayswater- Bassendean

Improvised dwellings, tents or 0 0 12 sleeping out

Supported accommodation for the 0 0 20 homeless

Staying temporarily with other 79 34 60 households

Staying in boarding houses 0 0 0

Temporary lodging 0 0 0

Living in 'severely' crowded dwellings 160 0 0 2 All homeless persons 284 60 172

Source: ABS, 2012

2 The total does not add up as some data was not available for publication

The ABS also compiles estimates from Census data for specific key groups of people who may be marginally housed, but who are not classified as homeless. Table 2 shows the number of people marginally housed in Perth North-East Metropolitan Region. The statistics shows that City of Swan (258) had the highest number of marginally housed people in the region compared to Mundaring (28) and Bayswater- Bassendean (133).

Table 2 Marginally Housed in Perth North-East Metropolitan Region (2011)

Swan Mundaring Bayswater- Bassendean Living in other crowded dwellings 169 19 133

Other improvised dwellings 21 0 0

Marginally housed in caravan parks 68 9 0

Source: ABS, 2012

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

As importantly, to target prevention, or amelioration of the circumstances of homelessness, it is necessary to know the locations of the homeless, and their characteristics. The 2011 census results show that Beechboro (91), Ballajura (72) and Midland-Guildford (46) were the suburbs with a high prevalence of homelessness as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Number of Homeless People by Suburb (City of Swan 2011)

Number of Homeless People by Suburb

100 91 90 80 72 70 60 46 50 40 30 23

Numble of People People of Numble 21 16 20 10 10 4 3 3 0

Source: ABS, 2012

Figure 1 shows that that Beechboro has the highest number of homeless people in the City of Swan. Detailed data analysis is not available at this time, but the high number reported in Beechboro could be accounted for by:

x The presence of a caravan park in the area; and x ABS catchment area for Beechboro suburb could have included more suburbs.

4.5 Service Provision

An analysis of homelessness services in the City of Swan shows that service providers are offering various services. Appendix 1 shows a list of services available in the City of Swan. Services currently available include but are not limited to counselling, advocacy, accommodation, emergency relief, preventative and outreach services. An analysis of services shows that while most services are based in Midland, the 2011 Census results show a high prevalence of homelessness in Beechboro and Ballajura. Further research might be required to investigate the nature of homelessness in Ballajura and Beechboro.

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

4.5.1 Gaps in Addressing Homelessness in the City of Swan

Stakeholder consultations show that most cited gaps include:

x Absence of City’s homelessness plan or protocol- the City does not have a plan/strategy to address homelessness nor a protocol that outlines the course of action to be taken by City employees when they encounter people who are homeless and rough-sleeping on City property; x Insufficient emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless people or at risk of homelessness; x Gaps in generalist, early intervention support- feedback from consultations shows that there are limited services within the local area for people at risk or experiencing homelessness. These service gaps can be more extreme in Rural Place, where service infrastructure may be diminished and access to existing services can be made more difficult by distance and limited public transport networks; x Lack of affordable long term housing options – feedback from consultations show that affordable housing including social housing was limited with long waiting lists. Analysis of rental and income trends shows that incomes have not kept pace with the cost of renting in Perth which has inevitably led to decreasing affordability and has placed low and moderate income earners into housing stress3 and even crisis (CHCWA, 2012); x Lack of capacity of service providers to accept referrals due to extensive waiting lists was the primary barrier to making successful referrals of homeless people or people at risk of homelessness; x Lack of capacity of local service providers to provide wrap around services; x Limited access to amenities and personal care facilities such as cleaning facilities and public toilets; and x Crisis or emergency accommodation do not operate during the day leading to increased visual presence of homeless people in the community, for examples, in libraries, shopping centres and other City property.

3 Housing stress is defined as paying rent that is 30 per cent or more of household income.

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

5.0 Recommendations for Addressing Homelessness in the City of Swan

As a local government, the City is the level of government that most people will have direct contact with, it provides an important array of services to individual households and communities, and it is an important source of local leadership.

Shelter WA is supporting a research project looking at the “benefits of Council protocols, policies and operational procedures by local governments to people sleeping rough in public places”. As part of this project they have collated information from Local Governments in the Perth Metropolitan Area, Western Australia peak bodies, interstate local governments and state governments. Examples of local governments with key strategic initiatives that can be adopted by the City of Swan include City of Fremantle, City of Joondalup, City of Vincent, and City of Wanneroo.

Based on the evidence gathered from literature review and consultation with key informants, the key recommendations for addressing homelessness in the City of Swan are provided at Tables 3-6.

It is important to note that in Table 3 which identifies the short term recommendations that these are of no additional costs of the City, and that these are to be implemented with existing staff and budget allocations.

Tables 4 – 6 which identify medium to long term recommendations will require a cross functional working group to assess the feasibility and resources required to implement the actions. If additional resources are required these findings will be presented to Council in a subsequent report.

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan Table 3: Recommendations for Addressing Homelessness in the City of Swan – Short-term options Recommendations Key Considerations

Collecting data on homelessness, monitor x Identify customer service enquiries or notifications related to homelessness recorded in Pathways system. community’s access to local homelessness x Identify population at risk of homelessness through outreach services services and increase knowledge of service x Report and document the number and location of rough sleepers cited by City Customer Advocates and staff working in public spaces gaps in the City of Swan. x Collect homelessness statistics from local service providers Developing a directory of services to x Listing free and low cost services available in the City of Swan from different organisations, including free and cheap food, accommodation, emergency facilitate information sharing, networking and crisis services. and referrals Developing a database of corporate and x Providing a link via the City website and directories made available at community venues in the City of Swan community groups that have an interest in addressing homelessness. Investigating opportunities to improve the x Provide funding to outreach and referral services to support people who sleep rough in the City of Swan provision of basic personal care facilities x Explore the feasibility of drop-in or day centres in response to street-present homelessness. These can provide basic personal care facilities for rough and emergency relief. sleepers; including toilets, showers, clothes washing facilities, storage facilities and phone charging outlets. x Examination of current activities undertaken by other local governments and homelessness-related issues being experienced in their municipalities, and the type of activities or support that they are involved in to address these issues. Identify best practice examples and how they can be replicated in the City of Swan x Supporting community groups providing food services e.g. food banks for people experiencing and at risk of homelessness. Emergency relief is short, sharp, crisis intervention Table 4: Recommendations for Addressing Homelessness in the City of Swan – Medium-term options Recommendations Key Considerations

Implementing a City of Swan x Coordinating and facilitating integrated responses to homelessness in public spaces within City’s services and with external partners by implementing a Protocol/Charter for Assisting People who City’s Protocol for Assisting people who are sleeping rough. are sleeping rough. x Educating City staff about dealing with homelessness appropriately

Facilitating networks collaboration and x Facilitate opportunities for increased participation in initiatives that promote pathways out of homelessness for corporate and community groups e.g. coordination to address homelessness organising a forum with relevant businesses and community groups and existing networks such as North East Youth Organisation Network (NEYON). x Promote an interagency North-East Regional Network which includes representatives from adjacent local governments, State government agencies, not-for profit organisations, faith-based and community organisations and private industry to facilitate service coordination. Advocating for more specialist services x Specialist Homelessness Services that can prevent homelessness by linking into other supports and by finding appropriate housing .The Safe At Home program (e.g. the Patricia Giles Centre Inc in Mirrabooka) provides support for women to remain in their home, when it is safe to do so potentially diminishing the likelihood of homelessness and disruption to women and children. x Exploring options for integrated ‘wrap-around’ service delivery through permanent community hubs that facilitate specialised services to support clients and meet their multiple and complex needs through various services Table 5: Recommendations for Addressing Homelessness in the City of Swan –Long-term options Recommendations Key Considerations

Advocating for government funding for affordable x Supporting local homelessness services and local initiatives in seeking funding for projects that support identified gaps in service provision in the City of accommodation Swan. x Identifying funding opportunities from government, philanthropic and the private sector and disseminating to local homelessness services Advocating for services that involve provision of x Foyer like approaches is increasingly common model internationally and in Australia e.g. Foyer Oxford in Leederville. This assists young people, usually accommodation and support aged between 16-25, to engage in education and employment, and gradually to reduce their dependence on social services. Indigo junction has had conversations with the City regarding prospects for a similar model for mixed age groups Land use planning and zoning x Exploring opportunities for inclusionary zoning to include supportive, social and affordable housing in key development sites. x Using planning instruments to require a component of affordable housing in specified areas as an option to stimulate new supply of affordable housing. Table 6: Recommendations for Addressing Homelessness in the City of Swan – Ongoing options Recommendations Options

Maintaining awareness of Federal and State x Identifying opportunities to respond to Federal or State government housing or homelessness reforms government policy changes related to homelessness and respond to calls for submissions where deemed appropriate. Implementing an integrated approach to addressing x Reviewing the implication of existing City policies and strategy documents on homelessness e.g. social plans, public space management regulations and homelessness across the organisation bylaws, to ensure they do not negatively impact on people who are homeless.

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6.0 Conclusion and Future Directions

The information provided in this report is not a statistical representation of the people experiencing homelessness in the City of Swan. However, it is a key step in identifying the state of homelessness in the City and will lay the foundation for further discussion and decision making.

The report has highlighted that homelessness includes people who are sleeping rough, as well as people staying in temporary, unstable or substandard accommodation. It is of importance to note that homelessness is not just a housing problem. It has many drivers and causes, including the shortage of affordable housing, long term unemployment, mental health issues, substance abuse and family and relationship breakdown. Effective early intervention responses to community needs are key in preventing and responding to homelessness and generalist support services play an essential role in an early intervention response. Reducing homelessness in the City of Swan requires a set of complementary programs and strategies to support both people at risk of homelessness as well as those who are actually homeless.

This research has found that the City as the tier of government closest to the community is uniquely placed to take a lead role locally in raising community understanding of homelessness. Therefore the City can assist and complement the work of other tiers of government, as facilitators of solutions to homelessness. Future directions will involve reviewing current programs and consider principles for investment of government funding in conjunction with the considerable work being undertaken by the not for- profit community service sector, which is not all reliant on government funding. In addition, it will be essential to conduct a mapping exercise to identify service delivery patterns and trends within Perth North-East metropolitan region, the barriers to service delivery and the opportunities to partner in addressing homelessness. The engagement of a diverse range of stakeholders, including people with a lived experience of homelessness, specialist homelessness services, community and health sector organisations and government agencies, is required to better utilise the limited resources available. Better coordination between stakeholders will provide easier access to a range of services by those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, as well as greater efficiency in the delivery of these services.

The review of literature and consultations undertaken as part of this report demonstrate that there is both scope, and capacity, for the City to increase its effort in:

x Placing the provision of affordable housing within the planning system; x Developing a policy or protocol on homelessness informed by a social inclusion agenda, to ensure that staff members are able to have the most positive interaction possible with people experiencing homelessness; x Educating staff and council members on the nature, impacts and challenges of homelessness;

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

x Liaising with service providers and acting as a point of referral when necessary, while supporting the individual services through information provision and networking; x Reviewing City by-laws to remove the capacity for negative impacts on homeless people; and x Seeking to liaise with other local governments in the Perth North-East metropolitan region, peak bodies and other state government agencies to share best practice and discuss issues around homeless and possible solutions.

Finally, it is important to recognise that homelessness is not a phenomenon that exists in isolation. In many respects the homeless represent just one end of a spectrum of disadvantage and therefore it is important to consider a more holistic approach or perspective. The review of literature and stakeholder consultations shows that the City’s involvement in the homelessness sector should be informed by a social inclusion agenda. This means recognising homeless people as an important group within the community that have rights and responsibilities; equal to those of other residents. Lifespan Services recommend that further investigation which includes accessing data on homelessness from service providers in the City of Swan be conducted to validate census data.

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State of Homelessness in the City of Swan

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 2012. Homelessness Statistics.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2014. Homelessness among Indigenous Australians. Canberra: AIHW.

Collaborative Community Health Research Centre (CCHRC). 2002. Research review of best practices for provision for youth services, University of Victoria, accessed February 2017, http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/youth/pdf/best_practices_ provision_of_youth_services.pdf

Community Housing Coalition WA (CHCWA). 2012. The New Face of Homelessness in WA: What’s changed? Why? Where to from here?

Department for Child Protection and Family Support (DCPFS). 2016. Homelessness in Western Australia: A Snapshot of the State Government’s role in homelessness policy, services and future direction. DCPFS Western Australia

Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIABP). 2014. Settlement Arrivals Information SGP Funding Round 2013-14: Western Australia

Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FAHCSIA). 2008. The Road Home: A National Approach to Reducing Homelessness. Canberra: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Johnson G, Natalier K, Bailey N, Kunnen N, Liddiard M, Mendes P. and Hollows A. 2009. Improving housing outcomes for young people leaving state out of home care. Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, RMIT Research Centre

MacKenzie, D., & Steen, A. (2013). Financial Stress, Financial Literacy, Counselling and the Risk of Homelessness. Australasian Accounting, Business and Financial Journal, 7(3), 31- 48. Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/aabfj/vol7/iss3/3

Mission Australia. 2016. Home & Away: child and youth homelessness

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National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM). 2013. Poverty Social Exclusion and Disadvantage in Australia, Report prepared for Uniting Church, Children Young Persons and Families

National Youth Commission (NYC). 2008. Australian Youth homelessness: A Report of the National Youth Commission Inquiry into Youth Homelessness. Victoria: National Youth Commission.

Prance F, Beer A. and Sandy H. 2013. The role of local government in addressing homelessness: a tool kit for local government. Centre for Housing, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Adelaide 2013

Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA). 2013. Housing Issues for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Australia: A Literature Review

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Appendix 1: Homelessness Services, Programs and Initiatives in the City of Swan

s) s) ry Advice Advice Support (General) selling ical Health and Assistance Service/Advice Health tal eation eation sing/Family) sing/Family) trelink Assistance cation cation wers wers ommodation ommodation Assistance (General) ommodation (Emergency) ployment Assistance ployment ancial Counselling Counselling ancial treach Response Response treach one Number ference ference ntal Assistance ntal lunteering ircuts ircuts rvice rvice cial Interaction seworker Support ug and AlcoholAssistance od (meals, snacks, parcels or vouchersnacks, od (meals, or parcels fety (Street Presence) ckers ckers ansport Assistance Assistance ansport othes / Bedding Re Se Address Ph Acc Acc Acc (Community Accommodation hou Birth Certificate Ca Cen Cl Coun De Dr Edu Em Fin Fo Ha Laund Legal Legal Lo Med Men Ou Recr Sa Sho So Tr Vo SERVICES LOCATED IN CITY OF SWAN ACCOMMODATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES 53 Great Northern Hwy, Midland, 1 Indigo Junction 9274 5382 WA 6056 x x x x x Indigo Junction - Karnany 25 Spring Park Road Midland, a 9274 7929 Resource WA, 6056 x x x x x x Centre Indigo Junction b - Indi House [email protected] 9274 1611 (Young People) x x x

c Indi Place [email protected] 9250 5256 x x x x x x 360 Street 25 Spring Park Road Midland, d 9274 7929 Doctor WA, 6056 x x Rise communityhousing@risenetwork. 2 Community 6274 3700 com.au Network x Social Centre - a [email protected] 6274 3700 Koongamia x x x

b Kira Safe House [email protected] 0408 895 613 x Lana House - c transitional [email protected] 0408 895 613 housing x 9404 5549 St John of God 3 [email protected] 0400 685 871 Horizon House 0409 210 284 x x

s) s) ry Advice Advice Support (General) selling ical HealthAssistance and Service/Advice Health tal eation eation sing/Family) sing/Family) trelink Assistance cation cation wers wers ommodation ommodation ommodation Assistance (General) (Emergency) ommodation ployment Assistance ployment ancial Counselling treach Response Response treach one Number ference ference ntal Assistance Assistance ntal lunteering ircuts ircuts rvice rvice cial Interaction seworker Support ug and AlcoholAssistance od (meals, snacks, parcels or voucher snacks, or od (meals, parcels ckers ckers Presence) (Street fety ansport Assistance Assistance ansport othes / Bedding Ou Recr Sa Sho So Tr Vo Re Se Address Ph Acc Acc Acc (Community Accommodation hou Birth Certificate Ca Cen Cl Coun De Dr Edu Em Fin Fo Ha Laund Legal Legal Lo Med Men St Vincent's de 4 Paul Society [email protected] 9374 3200 (Vinnies) x x [email protected] a Vincentcare 9374 3200 rg.au x x Unit 34/ 5 Keane Street, Midland, b Vinnies Shops 9274 1941 6056 x Koolkuna Domestic Midland Junction Lotteries 5 Violence House- 39 Helena Street, Midland 1800 199 088 Advocacy 6056 x x x x Service Koolkuna 9223 1111 a Women's Not published (Crisis Care) Refuge x x x x x x x x St 6 Bartholomew’s 7 Lime Street, East Perth, 6004 9274 0888 House Inc. x Bart's on C/- 7 Lime Street, East Perth, 9323 5100 /or a Ballajura 6004 9349 5394 x x x The Patricia 7 Not published 9300 0340 Giles Centre x x x x x x x Ellenbrook a Women's Not published 9374 0747 Refuge x x Ruah Suite 67 Plaistowe Mews, West 13 78 24 (13 8 Community Perth, 6005 RUAH) Services x x x x Mobile c/- Suite 67 Plaistowe Mews, 13 78 24 (13 a Outreach West Perth, 6005 RUAH) Services x c/- Suite 67 Plaistowe Mews, 13 78 24 (13 b Harmony Place West Perth, 6005 RUAH) x x x x x

s) s) ry Advice Advice Support (General) selling ical HealthAssistance and Service/Advice Health tal eation eation sing/Family) sing/Family) trelink Assistance cation cation wers wers ommodation ommodation ommodation Assistance (General) (Emergency) ommodation ployment Assistance ployment ancial Counselling treach Response Response treach one Number ference ference ntal Assistance Assistance ntal lunteering ircuts ircuts rvice rvice cial Interaction seworker Support ug and AlcoholAssistance od (meals, snacks, parcels or voucher snacks, or od (meals, parcels ckers ckers Presence) (Street fety ansport Assistance Assistance ansport othes / Bedding Ou Recr Sa Sho So Tr Vo Re Se Address Ph Acc Acc Acc (Community Accommodation hou Birth Certificate Ca Cen Cl Coun De Dr Edu Em Fin Fo Ha Laund Legal Legal Lo Med Men 9442 3444 9 MercyCare 38 Ord Street, West Perth, 6005 1800 800 046 x c/- 38 Ord Street, West Perth, a Carlow House 9442 3444 6005 x x x Mirrabooka a Family Support [email protected] 1300 760 691 Network x 45 Yelverton Drive, Midland, 10 Centrecare 9436 0600 6056 x x x x x x x Church of the Ascension 11 Anglicare WA 17 Spring Park Road Midland, 9274 1464 6056 x x x x Anglicare WA - a Family Housing Not published 6310 0581 Program x x Anglicare WA - b North Perth 9263 2009 YES! Housing x x GOVERNMENT AGENCIES Department of Child Protection Cale House, Level 1, 52 The 11 9274 9411 and Family Crescent, Midland, 6056 x x x Support Department of Social Services - 226 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, 12 1300 653 227 Reconnect 6000 x Services Parkerville Lotteries House, 39 Helena a Reconnect (North 9274 8440 Street, Midland, 6056 East Metro) x 23 Old Great Northern Highway, 13 Midlas 9250 2123 Midland, 6056 x x x x x x x x x

s) s) ry Advice Advice Support (General) selling ical HealthAssistance and Service/Advice Health tal eation eation sing/Family) sing/Family) trelink Assistance cation cation wers wers ommodation ommodation ommodation Assistance (General) (Emergency) ommodation ployment Assistance ployment ancial Counselling treach Response Response treach one Number ference ference ntal Assistance Assistance ntal lunteering ircuts ircuts rvice rvice cial Interaction seworker Support ug and AlcoholAssistance od (meals, snacks, parcels or voucher snacks, or od (meals, parcels ckers ckers Presence) (Street fety ansport Assistance Assistance ansport othes / Bedding Ou Recr Sa Sho So Tr Vo Re Se Address Ph Acc Acc Acc (Community Accommodation hou Birth Certificate Ca Cen Cl Coun De Dr Edu Em Fin Fo Ha Laund Legal Legal Lo Med Men Bluesky 14 Community 34 Diana Cres, Lockridge, 6054 9376 9999 Group x x x x x ABORIGINAL SERVICES The Nyoongar 35 Gladstone St Perth, WA, 15 9228 4211 Patrol Outreach 6000 x x x Kambarang Place 16 Aboriginal Perth inner city 9328 7562 Women's Refuse x x Aboriginal Youth 17 Service - [email protected] 1800 800 046 MercyCare x x YOUTH SERVICES Dungeon Youth 18 1 Kingfisher Avenue, Ballajura 9249 8601 Services x x x x x x x x Altone Youth Altone Park, 332 Benara Road, 19 9377 4022 Services Beechboro. x x x x x x OTHER SERVICES Dreambuilders 20 46 Helena St, Midland 9274 5536 Care Food Centre x x

21 Entry Point 4/327 Canning Hwy, Palmyra 1800 124 684 x