City of Kwinana to hand over reins of outreach service to new provider to support growing homelessness in area

The City of Kwinana Council voted at its latest meeting to outsource its Community Wellbeing Service to a more qualified and experienced non-profit group to keep up with rapidly increasing levels of homelessness in the city.

The City has provided support and advocacy through its assertive outreach service, Community Wellbeing Service, since it was established in 2017.

But the rapid growth of overcrowding and rough sleepers in the area has overtaken the City’s ability to appropriately cater to its most vulnerable.

A report from City officers at the council’s October 26 meeting said overcrowded dwellings in Kwinana had increased by about 45 per cent since 2020 and there had been a nearly 60 per cent increase in people requesting support from the service in the last financial year.

In 2020-21 the service had 217 people request support, but in 2021-22 that number jumped to 345.

The Rockingham-Kwinana By-Name List - which lists all the people in the area sleeping rough or experiencing homelessness, has also grown from 30 people in November 2020 to 127 in October 2022 — a huge increase of 323 per cent.

The council moved to outsource the service to a more experienced not-for-profit organisation to ensure it could keep up with the growing numbers of vulnerable people in need of support.

The motion to outsource passed unanimously and included authorising the City’s chief executive to advocate at State Government level for further financial support to address homelessness in Kwinana.

The City will go to tender for the service and the successful applicant will secure a three-year assertive outreach service contract to an amount of $200,000 per year.

Kwinana Mayor Carol Adams said outsourcing this work to a “suitable qualified service provider” would assist the City in dealing with the rising numbers of people experiencing homelessness.

“Kwinana is not alone in this experience, with many communities reporting a rise in homelessness and rough sleeping post COVID-19. In recent times, the cost-of-living pressures have also contributed to the spike in demand,” Ms Adams said.

“The City has engaged with surrounding communities and the not-for-profit sector to understand the implications and the strengths and weaknesses of any alternative approach.”

The tender for the service is expected to be released in the next two months, with July 2023 the proposed start date.

The City’s existing structure will continue servicing the community until the new service provider takes over.