Homelessness services in WA have described a system that is "failing" and unable to meet up to three-quarters of demand in a new report by researchers from the University of Western Australia.
Outdated funding structures, "huge" numbers of children becoming homeless, and a severe shortage of funding for Aboriginal-led services to end homelessness were among key complaints raised by services consulted for the report.
Released today, the Funding of Western Australian Homelessness Services study is part of Shelter WA's submission to a state parliamentary inquiry into the same topic.
Co-author Professor Paul Flatau, director of the UWA Centre for Social Impact, said some of the personal stories relayed to him during interviews for the report were distressing.
"You have people who come to a service, and [workers say] 'I don't know where to send them, because I can't even get them into crisis accommodation'," Mr Flatau said.
"And I don't have housing options to give them a long-term permanent roof over their heads."
Unmet demand
Less than half of specialised homelessness services said they were able to meet 76 per cent of demand or greater.
Agencies overall estimated they were unable to meet about 75 per cent of demand for support.
In terms of federal funding, services in remote or very remote areas had the lowest mean proportion of funding from the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement funding.
Centacare in the Kimberley, which contributed to the report, said there was currently no capacity to provide crisis or transitional support for homeless people in that region.
The well-known shortage of social housing in WA, which has stifled efforts by both the state government and non-profits to follow a "housing-first" approach to reducing homelessness, is discussed at length in the report.
But its first recommendation calls for a significant boost to federal funding.
"We need to see the federal government come through with a national homelessness strategy in which it brings the states with it [and] increases the funding for social housing," said Mr Flatau.
"Of course, with the election of a new government, we hope that there is a movement in that direction."
Calls for a national strategy
He said support for a national homelessness strategy dated back to the leadership of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who in 2008 released a White Paper document setting a goal to halve homelessness by 2020.
Rather, the homelessness rate in Australia increased by about 12 per cent between 2011 and 2016, according to the 2016 Census.
Newly sworn-in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised to build 20,000 social housing units and provide $100 million for crisis transitional housing for women and children at risk of violence.
Questions to the federal government about whether it will consider a national homelessness strategy were not answered before ABC's deadline.
Mr Flatau said changes were needed at a local level too, including longer contract terms and a review of WA funding models.
He said an increased focus needed to be placed on preventing young people from entering homelessness in the first place.
One service consulted for the study reported a "huge" increase in children becoming homeless.
Perth Inner City Youth Centre (PICYS) in West Leederville, was among the services consulted for the report.
Executive officer Andrew Hall said one of the major issues facing young people who were homeless was the barriers to accessing supports.
"We need to reset the budgets and resources that we have to ensure that we cover the needs of the most needy," Mr Hall said.
"Not just people who can meet a whole bunch of prerequisites and come in as ... less-challenging, less complex, less compoundingly difficult clients."
Pandemic funding limited
PICYS received state funding early in the pandemic to expand its psycho-social support program from 15 to 40 clients, following three deaths that highlighted the danger of COVID-19 impacts on young people.
The funding was extended as the pandemic continued but is set to end in December this year, at which point the number of people the service is funded to support reverts to 15.
Mr Hall said it was an example of the need to review funding models.
"It's been 15 since 2006, which tells you … that lots of things have been continued along and rolled along and never [been] reset and revalued," he said.
"So if you don't reset and revalue, you can't work out how to address the current day needs because you've got old models."
The report also highlighted a "notable" lack of services provided specifically for Aboriginal people.
Just 8 per cent of services were Aboriginal-specific, despite 75 per cent of services identifying Aboriginal people as a key client group.
Wungening, a Perth-based Aboriginal community-controlled organisation which runs multiple housing and homelessness services, said access to culturally appropriate responses was one of the challenges to ending homelessness.
It called for opportunities to include Aboriginal people's lived experiences when considering needs and solutions.
"Funding for homelessness services led by [Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations] has historically been non-existent, as this report demonstrates," Wungening chief executive, Noongar, Yamitji and Gija man Daniel Morrison said.
"Over the last 18 months, we have seen a shift from government towards prioritising and funding services run by ACCOs across a range of service areas including homelessness."
As a result, he said Wungening's new Boorloo Bidee Mia program has already provided more than 4,500 nights of accommodation.
Philanthropy gap
Although the study called for additional funding from governments to reduce homelessness, Mr Flatau said there was also a shortage of philanthropy for homelessness services compared with other sectors.
"Not to take the place of the government funding, it's still absolutely required, but to top up services and agencies," he said.
"I see the level of funding that goes into medical research from philanthropic foundations, [it's] pretty significant.
"And you certainly don't get to see that in the homeless space."
The report will be launched officially at a public event on Thursday.
