HOMELESSNESS — BOORLOO BIDEE MIA SERVICE
24. Hon STEVE MARTIN to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Homelessness:
I
refer to the government's concession that at the beginning of December
2021, just 27 people had been given a room at the multimillion-dollar
Boorloo Bidee Mia homeless facility since its opening in August 2021.
As of 31 January 2022, how many
people —
(a) were living at Boorloo Bidee Mia;
(b) had been referred to Boorloo
Bidee Mia;
(c) were waiting for an outcome of
their referral; and
(d) had been declined a placement at
Boorloo Bidee Mia?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of this question.
(a)–(d) Boorloo Bidee Mia is the first low-barrier
homelessness service in Western Australia of its kind, offering
medium-term accommodation for some of the most complex individuals, many of
whom have experienced long-term homelessness. The referral process is led by a group
of service providers and agencies, which work collaboratively to identify
appropriate candidates. The referral process differs from a ''walk-in''
or ''drop-in'' shelter model, as it seeks to provide longer term accommodation together with
individualised wraparound supports within a culturally supportive
environment to aid transition into permanent, stable living arrangements. Since
opening, a total of 56 referrals to BBM have
been assessed. Following a referral, eight individuals declined to move
into the facility for various reasons, including accepting alternative
supported accommodation, choosing to reside
with family or returning to country. Only one individual has been
declined since the opening of BBM, as they were deemed a safety risk and could
not be accommodated at BBM. As at 31 January 2022, the facility was providing a
home to 45 of the most complex individuals. As of today, this has increased to
47 individuals residing at the facility. For many, this is the first time that
they have been able to sustain accommodation for any length of time.