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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 24 asked in the Legislative Council on 15 February 2022 by Hon Steve Martin

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

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.