CORONAVIRUS — HOMELESSNESS
429. Hon SOPHIA MOERMOND to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Community Services:
I refer the minister to the vigil
for Alana held at Parliament House on Tuesday, 3 August 2021. Alana's
family members are pleading for this to be the last death on Perth's
streets; however, another homeless First Nation elder lost her life in Yagan
Square overnight on that very same day. Alana's family want justice for
Alana and housing for the homeless. We are not a Third World country, and this
should not be a First World problem. How does the minister intend to manage any
COVID lockdown during winter, the pandemic, a humanitarian housing crisis, and
the census?
Hon
SAMANTHA ROWE replied:
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. The following answer has been provided by the Minister for
Community Services.
The Department of Communities works
closely with its sector partners to prioritise the delivery of practical
supports to people currently sleeping rough during mandatory lockdown periods.
This includes ensuring that they have food provisions and access to the correct
personal protection equipment. To support the implementation of All paths lead to a home: Western Australia's
10-year strategy on homelessness 2020–2030, the McGowan government has made a significant investment in new programs
and services to support people who are experiencing homelessness. This
morning, the state government officially opened the new Boorloo Bidee Mia
homelessness service for people sleeping rough in the Perth metropolitan area.
This investment will provide a transitional accommodation facility at 300
Wellington Street and will provide support for adult rough sleepers, including
tailored care plans for each resident aimed at addressing their specific needs.
Additionally, the state government has committed almost $1 billion towards
modernising and futureproofing the state's social housing
infrastructure.
The census is a commonwealth
government responsibility.