Vinnies WA joins call to action on homelessness crisis

On any given night, nearly 10,000* West Australians don’t have a safe place to sleep, prompting thousands of people to turn to organisations like Vinnies WA for help.

This year for Homelessness Week, starting today until Sunday August 10, Vinnies WA joins Shelter WA in its focus on Prevention to advocate the State Government to continue developing strategies and supports to address the homelessness crisis, including timely solutions to create more affordable and social housing for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Vinnies WA acting CEO Ann Curran said this year’s theme was a poignant reminder that thousands of Western Australians are doing it tough, with many experiencing severe stress as a result of housing insecurity, escalating rents and broader cost of living challenges.

“Over the past year, we have seen a huge demand for Vinnies WA’s support services across Perth and regional WA, which paints a stark picture of how many West Australians are struggling,” Ms Curran said.

“Vinnies WA provides crucial services to thousands of vulnerable Western Australians, and we are calling on our State and Federal Governments to focus considerable attention to homelessness prevention and supports, to ensure more people in our community do not face the very real threat of homelessness.”

Over the 2024/25 financial year, Vinnies WA supported more than 61,000 vulnerable West Australians through a range of community-driven programs and services, which includes supporting an increasing number of people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Vinnies WA’s homelessness services provide much needed support through our accommodation services and Youth Engagement Hubs, working collaboratively with partners in the sector to respond to individual needs through supports ranging from crisis and intervention to prevention.

“The support offered by Vinnies WA stretches from the Pilbara in the North West, to Albany in the Great Southern,” Ms Curran said.

“Last year alone, we received more than 54,000 calls to the Vinnies WA Call Centre for Emergency Relief Assistance.

“Whether it’s providing financial counselling, transitional and temporary accommodation or emergency relief in the form of food, clothing and basic supplies, there has never been a greater need for the crucial services we provide at Vinnies WA.”

St Vincent de Paul Society National President Mark Gaetani added that there was a dire need for more affordable housing and wraparound supports provided by organisations such as Vinnies.

“Every day we see that, with the right support, people can stay housed and rebuild their lives,” Mr Gaetani said.

“Secure housing lifts people out of poverty and leads to better outcomes in health, education, employment, and social participation.

“We look forward to all our governments acting faster to build more affordable accommodation.

“Access to secure affordable housing coupled with wraparound support services save around $13,100 per person annually in government services,' he said.