Advocacy - Homelessness Support and Accommodation Services
Key Issues
Population, housing and increasing homelessness
The City is a large growth Council with a rapidly increasing population. The estimated 2024 population of 235,994 is forecast to grow by over 85% to 437,016 by 20461. This growth is placing pressure on housing availability and the provision of affordable housing in particular.
The City has fewer unoccupied private dwellings (6%) compared to the WA average (10.9%) and significantly lower levels of housing diversity2. Higher house prices and rising inflation are adding to existing high levels of mortgage and rental stress in the City. The demand for homelessness services in the City is expected to grow in the near future due to this combination of population growth and the cost-of-living and housing pressures.
The City received 246 reports of people experiencing homelessness in 2023/24, equating to approximately 157 unique cases. The number of reports reflects a 170% increase from the previous 2022/23 financial year of 145 reports.
High levels of housing stress
There are lower levels of outright home ownership and more households in the City paying a mortgage (52.5% compared to 40% across Greater Perth). Of these, 14.4% are under housing stress with mortgage repayments greater than 30% of household income3. The City has a lower than average median weekly income for individuals and families4.
High levels of rental stress are also evident; 33.2% of renter households in the City have rental payments greater than 30% of household income compared to 28.3% across WA5. About 10% of families in the City are low income or welfare dependent and nearly 15% of households receive rent assistance6. Rental costs in the City increased by 35% between 2019 and 20227 - amongst the highest increases in the Perth metropolitan area. Housing shortages across Perth have continued to push up rental costs significantly in the years since then. The suburbs of Butler and Girrawheen have the 5th and 7th highest rental stress in the Perth metropolitan area8. In 2024, the percentage of affordable and appropriate properties for a couple both on minimum wage with two children and receiving family tax benefits has dropped to 6.4% from 26.7% in 20239.
Services unable to meet demand
Service providers are reporting high levels of service demand and challenges in finding accommodation and accessing wrap-around support services for clients with many at maximum capacity and not taking referrals. Providers have reported that many clients are reluctant to engage with CBD-based services due to distance and accessibility issues.
While two assertive outreach services are currently provided in the City, there is no guarantee of continuation beyond June 2026. The Wanneroo Engagement and Assessment Team (WEAT) commenced services in August 2023 and is operated by The Salvation Army through philanthropic funding ending in July 2026. The WEAT assertive outreach team is working to capacity and has supported 73 clients with 256 engagements from August 2023 until 31 January 202410. In February 2023, the Homeless Engagement Assessment Response Team (HEART), delivered by Uniting WA, commenced services in the City; this service is contracted until 30 September 2025.
Ebenezer Aboriginal Corporation runs two accommodation services in the City; one medium-term for single males 18 to 25 years and one crisis for single females aged 15 to 25 years. Youth Futures is building a 6-bedroom short-term crisis accommodation service in Merriwa for young people aged 15 to 19 years who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Uniting WA received approval in June 2024 to develop a 10-person community housing facility in Girrawheen designed to support people transition out of homelessness or full-time care11. Within the City, there is no crisis, short-term or transitional, or medium-term homelessness accommodation services that cater for people not in these age brackets.
Strategic alignment
The City of Wanneroo has been a leader of the Joondalup Wanneroo Ending Homelessness Group (JWEHG) which was originally formed in 2011. The JWEHG comprises of government, community members with lived experience of homelessness, not-for-profit, corporate, faith-based organisations and people working in the homelessness sector, in and around the Joondalup and Wanneroo region. In partnership with the City of Joondalup, the City has a Regional Homelessness Plan focusing on building capacity, understanding and engagement; prevention and early intervention; and responding to homelessness. The City has seen a significant rise in reports of homelessness over the last year.
The WA Government’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness ‘All Paths Lead to a Home’, is underpinned by a housing first approach, ‘no wrong door’ viewpoint, whole-of-community approach, and place-based responses. Priority actions include supporting measures that ensure people sleeping rough have immediate access to shelter and are connected to appropriate supports. Currently, this is not happening in a timely, consistent or optimal way within the City due to a lack of accessible local services and homelessness accommodation located locally.
What is required
There is an opportunity to transform the support offered to people experiencing homelessness in the City to better align with the housing first and place-based response priorities outlined in the WA
Government’s homelessness strategy. City-based homelessness support services, accommodation and ongoing assertive outreach would enable people to remain connected to their local support network.
There is an identified need for secure funding for short to medium term homelessness accommodation with wrap-around support services, and an ongoing assertive outreach service. While assertive outreach is currently operating in the City, there is no guarantee of continuation beyond mid-2026.
The services required would benefit residents of all ages in the region of the Cities of Wanneroo and Joondalup.
Infographic 1: Map of accommodation services & WEAT engagement hubs in the City