A bold vision to design, fund and build at least 100 brand new social houses across the Southwest is closer to becoming a reality.
On Friday May 10, leading South West homelessness services provider, advocate, and social housing provider, Accordwest, will bring together like-minded individuals, organisations, and businesses with philanthropic mindsets to take part in a ground-breaking event designed to genuinely help solve the homelessness crisis in the South West.
Held at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, the 'Symposium100' is a free event, with morning presentations, a networking lunch, and facilitated workshop to discuss how to turn ideas into action, and ultimately, move the project forward to concrete reality.
The initiative comes as a series of homelessness findings lay bare a worsening crisis situation that is having ramifications in local South West communities.
The South West recently recorded the highest proportion of rough sleeping in WA, with a 62.9 percent increase in people experiencing homelessness, up from 415 to 676.
The problem is widespread across the region, with ongoing repercussions in community.
Findings from the 'advance to zero' campaign by the West Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (WAAEH) - an independent champion for preventing and ending homelessness in Australia - revealed worrying health and wellbeing trends experienced by those experiencing homelessness in WA.
Many of those surveyed reported experiencing a raft of physical health issues, from heatstroke, serious brain injury and head trauma, right through to epilepsy, asthma, diabetes, and kidney disease.
More than half reported depression (58.7 percent) and anxiety (52.3 percent), while almost a third (30.2 percent) reported diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Perhaps surprisingly, 90.7 percent of those surveyed had regular income, and 85.3 percent had control of their finances.
Yet only 22.2 percent reported that their basic needs were met, with less than half (40.9 percent) reporting that they received enough money to meet their expenses on a fortnightly basis.
The data supports an emerging new 'rent stress' trend in the South West Region and Perth observed by WA government agencies, where families with employed parents are increasingly becoming homeless as their incomes become insufficient to secure rental accommodation.
A recently commissioned industry body report estimates that the South West Region needs 5,600 new homes by 2041.
"Our vision to build at least 100 social homes is built on a core belief that homelessness is something we can solve through community partnerships," Accordwest CEO Evan Nunn said
"We've got to do better - and we will. Together we must make Homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.
"Accordwest has the bold idea to bring together like-minded organisations in the Southwest to create a consortium that allowed us to jointly deliver projects of scale. Now with the help of motivated partners, contributors, and volunteers at the Symposium100, we can turn vision into concrete reality."
If you or someone you know wants to be part of the Symposium100, RSVP by 26 April 2024.
To register your attendance, and learn more about the event, Accordwest, and other projects, visit accordwest.com.au.
