Indigenous People In Perth Are Funding A Plan To Get Mob Off The Streets
The Indigenous organisation is stepping up where others have turned away.
In a loose collection of tents called “tent city” in inner-city Perth, the homeless forced to live there fear for their safety.
Tent city resident and Nyoongar woman Shonna Brown said the situation was deteriorating in the makeshift settlement. Women there feared sexual violence and being robbed. Her partner recently had all his possessions taken from him in the night.
“Some of the girls don’t feel safe at all,” she told Junkee. “I always try to have my partner there with me, but sometimes he’s not there at night. We’re on eggshells. We don’t know if we can sleep.”
Part of tent city in Perth. Photo: Shelter WA
Local social services provider Wungening Aboriginal Corporation has been implementing a plan to secure 50 beds in a disused backpackers as an alternative for the residents of tent city, using their own funds.
Chief executive Daniel Morrison said that while he was happy to be taking steps to help out the homeless community, he knew there would be more work to do down the line.
“We hope it will play a role in that transition,” he said. “We hope to put them in longer term accommodation at the end of the road.”
Housing tent city in a backpackers left empty because of the coronavirus crisis was first floated by unsuccessful Lord Mayoral candidate for Perth, Mark Gibson.
He said if elected, he’d move into what is typically a state government responsibility, and broker a deal between the council and the backpackers.
After losing to Basil Zempilas, his plan stalled. It’s been more than a month since the election and Wungening is only this week being allowed to move on with the plan, frustrating them and the tent city residents.
“They have it right there, what are they waiting for?” Ms Brown asked. “We needed it last week. We just need help. It’s all we’re asking for, housing.
“It’s not safe anymore. A lot of people come there and help us with food and what not. But that’s not exactly what we want. We need housing.”
Ms Brown and her partner have been on the streets for years. He’s been on the public housing waiting list for five of them.
She said getting into temporary accommodation would give the residents the best chance to get into a home for good.
“They’ve said they’re going to give us this backpackers, are they really going to do it or is it just all talk?” Ms Brown said. “I’ve been going through all this shit, trying to get help for us. We all have different things going on in our lives, different situations and different problems.
“But housing is the biggest. We have nowhere we can sit and relax.”
Part of the “city” extends onto a bike path below a bridge. Photo: Shelter WA
What Else Is Being Done?
UWA Centre for Social Impact director Professor Paul Flatau said that the state government’s approach to dealing with homelessness was good, but would take time to improve low-cost housing options for those who struggle with homelessness, so they could be housed permanently.
“They’re clearly acting around the affordability question,” he said. “There is quite a significant movement on the social housing front, and has a projected net 6 percent increase over the next 10 years.
“They are also talking about using transitions from housing vulnerability into permanent housing. [But] there is still need for significant action around homelessness, no question about it.”
Ms Brown was worried that the proposed solutions were focusing on just one facet of homelessness — and not thinking about less visible forms of the social ill.
“The government has a plan to deal 500 houses, that’s just not enough,” she said. “There’s not just people here in the inner-city. There are people couch-surfing in every suburb.
“People with children. And not just Indigenous people. There’s all sorts out there.”
Mr Morrison agreed. He said housing policy in Western Australia had a long way to go.
“Bottom line is we need more housing stock to address the homelessness issue. There is a very low vacancy rate in Perth,” he said. “We need more housing in the pipeline and more suitable housing for families and individuals we’re working with. A lot of these people have complex issues, and some of them shouldn’t be living with other people.
“A massive investment by state and commonwealth is needed to get it up to an appropriate level and reflect the population size.”
Wungening Aboriginal Corporation provides free social support to Indigenous people in Perth, such as drug and alcohol programs and helping former prisoners transition back into the outside world. You can donate to them here.
Jim Malo is a journalist with an interest in politics and social justice. He tweets at @thejimmalo.