Homeless camp pops up at Parliament as Perth mourns deaths of 56 rough sleepers   

August 4, 2021
WA Today.

A homeless tent city has appeared on the doorstep of Parliament to protest the shortage of affordable housing in Western Australia.

About a dozen people slept in tents and mattresses at Solidarity Park on Tuesday night, flanked by two banners with the words “housing crisis, humanitarian crisis”.



Volunteers helped the rough sleepers with warm drinks, food, and clothing.

It comes six months after homeless people camped at Pioneer Park in Fremantle as the state’s housing crisis reached breaking point, and just hours after mourners gathered at the steps of Parliament to honour Noongar mother-of-six Alana Garlett, who died in hospital after falling ill while sleeping rough in Perth’s CBD.

The Fremantle camp, which became known as ‘tent city’, pushed the homelessness issue to the fore and became a hot topic in the lead-up to the March state election.


Affordable housing
Families face life on the street as shocking new numbers reveal depth of WA housing crisis
Campers were moved into temporary accommodation in hotels in February after the state government took control of the park from the City of Fremantle.

Some rough sleepers have since been transitioned into public housing, others remain in temporary arrangements while some have returned to the streets.

Homelessness in Perth has soared since then, with people who never experienced financial woes now facing life in the streets.


In the first two months since the end of the rental moratorium in March, landlords lodged hundreds of termination notices in court and 200 people found themselves without a home.

The state government has committed more than $80 million towards community bed-based solutions and is in the process of building two ‘common ground’ facilities and a lodge with room for 100 people at the old Perth City YHA building near McIver station.

Homelessness advocates and rough sleepers install 56 crosses outside of Dumas House.


But advocates say it doesn’t go far enough and more investment in public housing is needed.

There are currently 17,000 families waiting for a social home, 3220 of which are considered priority housing. However, at the end of the moratorium only 235 units were under construction and 50 others under contract to be built across the state. 

The grim reality of life in the streets was again thrust into the spotlight last week following news of Ms Garlett’s death. The mother-of-six died at Royal Perth Hospital after falling ill while sleeping rough in the CBD.


Homelessness
The cost of homelessness in WA’s public hospitals and how the state could save millions
On Tuesday evening, mourners gathered at the steps of Parliament to honour Ms Garlett’s memory and denounce the deaths of 56 homeless people in the streets of Perth last year alone.

On Wednesday morning, homeless advocates and rough sleepers camping at Parliament placed 56 black crosses in front of Dumas House in protest of the government’s inaction to prevent deaths on the streets.

Balladong Noongar man Desmond Blurton played the didgeridoo as the morning sun washed over the crosses in a tribute to the Aboriginal West Australians like Ms Garlett who lost their lives while homeless.

Premier Mark McGowan said he wasn’t aware of the vigil or the homeless camp but he said tent cities the likes of Fremantle’s created “lawlessness and trouble”.

“Obviously now that I’m aware that it’s there I’ll talk to the police about it,” he told reporters.

He said the government would continue to put additional funding into public housing and homelessness services to address the issue.

And good for them.

There needs to be more of this all over the country.

Those in power MUST be made to do the right thing and build more public
housing, and encourage the building of more social and affordable housing.

They should NOT have the option not to do so.

And siccing the police onto the homeless is not, has not, and will NEVER BE
the answer, and should simply not be permitted. That's just punishing the
victims.

Covid has exposed a huge growth in homelessness as isolation has made it more difficult for people who couch surf and share the homes of others.

The number of homeless people is going to increase dramatically and governments have no answers.

Best spot for it.... stick it to 'em!

Bullsh1t. The homeless issue in Perth is mainly due to drug (meth) use. 
Meth now selling for 3 or 4 times it was before Mcgowan "got tough on drugs" (except Ben cousins and certain govt Ministers , wink, wink). They cant afford housing because the price of drugs is so high. I make no judgement on these people because they have been deserted by the state government, addicts really are not criminals simply because they are addicts, yet this is how Mcgowan has treated the issue and it has been a massive social failure, exacerbated but not caused by the Covid crisis. Almost non existent rehab and mental health facilities, in or out of prison.

whiteknight wrote on Aug 5^th, 2021 at 7:37pm:

"The Oath or Affirmation you took this morning confirms your commitment to faithfully serve all the people of Western Australia".
https://govhouse.wa.gov.au/swearing-in-of-the-new-legislative-council-members-of
-the-41st-parliament/

rhino wrote on Aug 5^th, 2021 at 8:00pm:

"The Journeys Home project (a longitudinal survey of Australians), found that of those people who had experienced housing instability or homelessness, risky use of substances was reported for illicit drug use (39%)..Research from homelessness services in Melbourne showed that 43% of the homeless population reported that they had alcohol and other drug use problems."

Often drug use starts after they become homeless.

rhino wrote on Aug 6^th, 2021 at 9:50am:


That is absolute bullshit. Certainly a percentage of homeless are substance abusers but a great many are mentally ill. What's more, You appear to have failed to notice we are in the middle of housing crisis. Many homeless are young families, sleeping rough.


I was going to say you information was out of date but i can't think of time where it has ever been applicable.