Grim new statistics reveal that regional Western Australia is experiencing a homelessness crisis of unprecedented proportions with nearly half of all Specialist Homelessness Services clients coming from areas that are home to just 20.6 per cent of the state's population.
The data from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare published Monday exposes a hidden crisis that disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
MercyCare's General Manager for Youth, Wellbeing and Accommodation, Suzanne Caren, said Boorloo/Perth's homelessness challenges "receive significant attention and resources, regional Western Australia is facing a crisis that's proportionally more than double the metropolitan rate".
"For every homeless person you see in Perth, there are two more struggling in regional WA and most people don't even know they exist," she said.
The statistics paint a stark picture of regional disadvantage:
- 48.7 per cent of homelessness service clients are from regional WA, despite representing only 20.6 per cent of the population;
- More than 40 per cent of homeless individuals in regional and remote WA live in severely crowded dwellings;
- 60.7 per cent of homeless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are located outside Greater Perth; and
- Regional areas have significantly fewer supported accommodation services, leading to increased rough sleeping and dangerous overcrowding Aboriginal communities are bearing the brunt of the crisis, with Indigenous Australians heavily overrepresented in regional homelessness statistics while having limited access to culturally appropriate support services.
MercyCare operates Aboriginal Short Stay Accommodation facilities in Broome, Derby and Kalgoorlie, providing culturally safe, family-friendly accommodation for up to 28 days.
"Our facilities aren't just about providing a bed for the night," said Ms Caren.
"We're addressing the root causes by connecting guests with Aboriginal Support Workers who help them access essential services like healthcare, employment support and family services."
The accommodation serves families and individuals who travel to regional centres for medical appointments, training, cultural events, or family gatherings, journeys that previously often resulted in rough sleeping or dangerous overcrowding due to lack of appropriate accommodation options.
The regional crisis is part of a broader homelessness emergency across Western Australia.
Data shows overall homelessness has risen eight per cent since 2016; rough sleeping has doubled in five years; and WA now has the highest proportion of people sleeping rough out of any state or territory in the country.
"These aren't just statistics, they represent thousands of Western Australians, many of them families with children, who are struggling to find safe, appropriate accommodation," said Ms Caren.
In a statement on Monday, MercyCare called for increased investment in regional homelessness services and culturally appropriate accommodation to address the crisis.
"The disparity between regional and metropolitan service provision is stark and unsustainable. We need urgent action to expand services in regional areas, particularly culturally safe options for Aboriginal communities," said Ms Caren.
"Every Western Australian deserves access to safe, appropriate housing, regardless of where they live."
A State Government Spokesperson told National Indigenous Times the government "acknowledges the ongoing need for housing and homelessness support across regional and remote Western Australia".
"We are investing $5.8 billion to boost housing supply and provide targeted support across the State. This includes the delivery of more than 5,800 social homes, with over 3,300 now complete and another 1,000 under construction or under contract," they said.
"Since July 2020, we've also refurbished more than 2,000 social housing properties and carried out maintenance on thousands more.
"In regional WA alone, 821 new homes have been delivered, with a further 175 currently under contract or construction."
The government spokesperson said this work was complemented by investments in regional homelessness services, including: $53 million for the Supportive Landlord Model across Geraldton, Albany and Kalgoorlie, delivering 100 homes supported by intensive Housing First case management; 30 regionally based homelessness services, including culturally informed organisations like Bega Garnbirringu Health Services, Mercy Community Services and Mission Australia, which support people at risk of or experiencing homelessness; and Aboriginal Short Stay Accommodation facilities in Derby, Kalgoorlie and Broome, which provide culturally safe, temporary accommodation for Aboriginal people visiting regional centres for medical care, cultural obligations, family reasons or business. New facilities are under construction in Perth and Geraldton.
"We are also delivering improved housing outcomes in remote communities through the $350 million Remote Communities Fund, including $140 million specifically to improve housing supply and living conditions in remote and town-based Aboriginal communities," they said.
"We've recently opened the Wunggu Maya Housing and Training Centre in Roebourne, the first of its kind in the Pilbara. This $10.5 million project, delivered through the $200 million North West Aboriginal Housing Fund (NWAHF), includes 10 transitional homes alongside training and support services."
