Albany services set to gain comprehensive picture of homelessness as city joins Advance to Zero initiative

Albany is set to join the WA Alliance to End Homelessness’ Advance to Zero initiative this year, giving local organisations better support to tackle homelessness in the community.

Advance to Zero is a national program with a 10-year plan to resolve homelessness in Australia.

As a direct result of local community work over multiple years, funding was recently approved for Albany to join Advance to Zero.

As an Advance to Zero community, Albany service providers will be able to build a by-name list of those experiencing homelessness in the city, creating a much more comprehensive picture of the issue and its local impacts.

Alliance executive director Louise Olney was in Albany last week, and said the initiative’s funding would provide better support for local service providers and organisations in the homelessness sector to take action.

“The Albany community has been working together for several years to advocate for more action in ending homelessness,” she said.

“In 2024, the community gathered data that showed the government what needed to be done and as a result WAAEH was funded to support Albany to become its own A to Z community.

“We are very excited to be getting the initiative off the ground here so Albany can make data-informed decisions towards ending homelessness for rough sleepers in their community.”

She said that with a by-name list, local providers could put together a collaborative response, and pool resources to provide specialised support to individuals and help get them into housing that suits their needs.

Ms Olney was joined by WA’s A to Z program manager Deb Phillips, local community co-ordinator Nick Mathieson and Katie Vos from the Office of Homelessness. The group led information sessions for local providers about the initiative.

Local providers and support agencies included WA Police, the Department of Communities, Anglicare WA, Pivot Support Services, Advance Housing, AHA Great Southern, the City of Albany, Great Southern CLC, Southern Aboriginal Corporation, the Department of Housing and Works, Albany Community Foundation, and Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation.

In 2024, Albany organisations including Advance Housing, Albany Youth Support Association, Albany Community Foundation, Southern Aboriginal Corporation, Albany Community Legal Centre and Pivot Support Services came together to collect data on homelessness in Albany.

As part of the survey, more than 80 participants representing people dealing with homelessness spoke about their experiences, aiming to prove that homelessness was a bigger problem in Albany than State Government data suggested.