City of Kwinana partners with St Pat’s to tackle homelessness with assertive outreach program

St Patrick’s Community Support Centre will take on a third local assertive outreach program to help tackle homelessness across the region, after signing on with the City of Kwinana. The city will partner with St Pat’s to provide an assertive outreach program using a model supported by the State Government, with the specialist service set to be run from July 23 to help deliver a co-ordinated response to rough sleeping in Kwinana. Mayor Carol Adams said city’s first specialist assertive outreach service selected St Pat’s from a “competitive” tender process. “Communities across the country have been experiencing a spike in homelessness brought about by the pandemic and cost-of-living pressures,” Ms Adams said. “The city is not immune to this trend and wishes to adequately support our community’s most vulnerable people by offering them a fit-for-purpose service to operate from within our community.” The program will run for three years and be available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 7.30am to 12.30pm. The new assertive outreach team will work alongside the Homeless Engagement, Assessment, Response Team (HEART) — also led by St Pat’s — which brings together the expertise of the Department of Communities, Uniting WA, Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, and Indigo Junction. St Pat’s chief executive Michael Piu said the charity was proud to be partnering with the city to provide “targeted, flexible support for people experiencing rough sleeping”. “We work side by side with people to identify their needs, connect them with services and assist them as they transition into safe, secure accommodation,” Mr Piu said. The St Pat’s Kwinana team will work closely with other local service providers to offer support tailored to their specific needs. “Through intensive case management, we can help break down those personal and systemic barriers, which might prevent people from accessing safe, secure accommodation,” Mr Piu said. The mayor also recognised St Pat’s assertive outreach work in neighbouring local government areas Rockingham and Mandurah. In Mandurah, the first 12 months of the outreach program saw 36 people find permanent housing, with outreach workers making more than 430 referrals to various service providers. After some uncertainty over its future, the State Government recently confirmed it would continue funding the program but the pledge for ongoing financial support is yet to be put in writing to the City of Mandurah. The City of Rockingham’s program is due to end mid-2024, with no further funding secured for its continuation as yet.