Homelessness Week 2024

Anglicare WA marked Homelessness Week 2024, which ran from 5 to 11 August, with numerous education and awareness raising events across the state highlighting the impact of homelessness.  Heeding this year’s theme ‘Homelessness Action Now’, our housing services along with our Advocacy and Philanthropy teams, called for collective action and systemic change to end homelessness.  Here’s a look at some of the events that occurred during the week:

• Anglicare WA’s Nick Mathieson, Housing Coordinator for the South-West Metro and Peel, presented at the Shelter WA Homelessness Week launch, where he spoke about the Advance to Zero initiative to address homelessness in the Mandurah, Rockingham, and Kwinana region.
• Mr Mathieson also presented at the Breaking Barriers Business Breakfast in Rockingham where he shared his own lived experience and connected with others through shared stories and emphasised the importance of collaboration in our work.
• Our Advocacy and Philanthropy teams hosted a breakfast at Foyer Oxford for our Corporate Partners to delve deeper into the issue of youth homelessness and the actions they can take to address it.  The teams discussed the drivers and causes of youth homelessness, Anglicare WA’s youth-specific services, and our current policy asks advocating for social housing, crisis supported housing, and income support.
• The Thread Together service supported over 115 people and distributed over 350 items of brand-new clothing to people in need during three events in Mandurah, Rockingham, and Perth.
• In Bunbury, the team at Keny Miya along with Accordwest, The Salvation Army and local Street Chaplains kicked off Homelessness Week with early morning outreach.  The following day they held a ‘Conversation and Care’ event providing lunch, services and emergency relief to rough sleepers.
• The week concluded with the 2024 Anglicare WA School Sleep Out in Perth Metro, where over 500 students from 22 schools braved wintery conditions to raise over $211,000 for Anglicare WA’s Street Connect youth outreach service.  As the largest event of its kind in Australia, the School Sleep Out provides a unique, first-hand glimpse into the reality of youth homelessness with a homelessness simulation that pushes students out of their comfort zone while building their understanding and empathy for people experiencing homelessness.

You can learn more about Anglicare WA’s housing services here or donate here so we can continue to help those who are at risk of homelessness.