IMAGINED HOUSING - St. Patrick's Community Support Centre · 2019. 6. 11. · IMAGINED HOUSING? In...
Transcript of IMAGINED HOUSING - St. Patrick's Community Support Centre · 2019. 6. 11. · IMAGINED HOUSING? In...
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IMAGINEDHOUSING
Outcomes andRecommendations2019 Report
PHASE 1 WORKSHOPS
CONTENTS
3
4
7
12
16
19
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INTRODUCTION
WA STATISTICS ON HOMELESSNESS
WORKSHOP #1 - LIVED EXPERIENCE
WORKSHOP #2 - FRONTLINE
WORKSHOP #3 - DECISION MAKERS
WORKSHOP #4 - BUSINESS & COMMUNITY
RECOMMENDATIONS
We welcome your support in this journey! Please get in contact.
CONTACT
Karyn Lochore (08) 9430 4159
stpats.com.au/imaginedhousing
Imagined Housing builds on the work of the WA Alliance to End Homelessness, and in the
context of the State Government’s intention to deliver a State Homelessness Strategy in 2019,
and a State A�ordable Housing Strategy in 2020.
Imagined Housing exists to bring together government and not-for-profit agencies, businesses
and individuals in the south-west metro region who are interested in tackling housing and
homelessness issues a�ecting them and their neighbours.
The WA Council of Social Services (WACOSS) appointed St Pat’s to take the lead in bringing Imagined Housing into being.
WACOSS continues to provide important strategic advice and support to the delivery of the
project. Further logistical support and other in-kind resources were provided by the City of
Fremantle and the City of Cockburn. Iain Shields of Hygge Community Life was appointed as
project manager.
WACOSS will use the outcomes of these community conversations in submissions to government,
in addition to the agency’s work representing the community services sector on the
Homelessness and Housing Commissioning Group, a sub-group of the Supporting Communities
Forum Homelessness Working Group. It is hoped that this report will also prove valuable to other
groups and individuals involved in service provision and strategic reform in homelessness
response across Western Australia.
WHAT ISIMAGINEDHOUSING?In the second half of 2018, St Patrick’s Community
Support Centre (‘St Pat’s’) embarked on a series of
community conversations.
The purpose of the conversations was to begin a whole-of-community approach to improving housing and ending homelessness in south-west metropolitan Perth.
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According to the 2016 Census1, on any given night there are around 9,005 people experiencing homelessness in Western Australia.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines a statistical region for
South-West Metropolitan Perth2.
9,005EXPERIENCINGHOMELESSNESS
1 - ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2016
2 - ABS: tinyurl.com/imaginehousing1
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People were in
situations of severe
overcrowding.
People were living in
boarding houses or other
temporary lodgings.People were living in improvised
dwelling, tents, or sleeping out
(‘sleeping rough’).
People were in
supported
accommodation
for the homeless.
People were staying
temporarily with others
(‘couch surfing’).
~220 ~260
~280
~120
~83
8.5%
The Census figures show an estimated 976 people
experiencing homelessness in this region3.
Of those:
12.8%
22.9% 26.9%
28.9%
976people
It is notable that the South-West Metro
region has the highest proportion of people
living in boarding and lodging houses, more
than twice the overall Perth Metropolitan
figure (14.0%).
Historically, providers (including St Pat’s)
have o�ered a significant amount of this
type of housing, which for some people is
an acceptable, or even preferable option.
SOUTH WESTMETROPOLITEANPERTH
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27.9%
14.6%
reported that their most recent spell of homelessness was
six months long or more.
reported that their most recent spell of homelessness was
between three to six months.
22.7%reported that their most recent spell of homelessness was
between three to six months.
34.3%reported that their most recent spell of homelessness was
less than four weeks.
The ABS’s General Social Survey provides some information regarding
homelessness durations4. Among all age groups:
HOMELESSNESSDURATIONS
Estimates of homelessnessEstablishing an estimate for the number of
people who experience homelessness in our
region each year is di�cult. Given the
prevalence of short periods of homelessness,
it’s likely that it is many more people than the
Census figure – perhaps six or seven times as
many.
The report, Homelessness in Western
Australia: a review of the research and
statistical evidence, prepared by researchers
at the Centre for Social Impact at the
University of WA for the Department of
Communities, provides valuable data and
analysis regarding homelessness in WA.
3 - Compared to an overall population of approximately 420,000 people.
4 - abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/4159.0#Anchor5
THE WORKSHOPSA series of four workshops were held in the first week ofDecember, 2018. The workshops were facilitated by Iain Shields.
The purpose of this workshop was to listen to the stories of
people with lived experience of homelessness or housing
crisis, and to map their journeys. More than 20 people with
lived experience attended, many of whom were supported
by workers from service providers. Attendees were invited
to describe their experience with one of three journeys:
You’re at risk of homelessness. What do you do?
Where do you go? Was it happy? Sad?
You are homeless. Tell us what happens in a week and month.
What do you do? Where do you go? Was it happy/sad/frustrating?
Was it useful?
I’m moving into somewhere! Tell us your story! What do you do?
Where do you go? Was it good, or bad?
1.
2.
3.
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#1 LIVED EXPERIENCE WORKSHOP FREMANTLE TOWN HALL
04.12.20189:30-11AM
5 - Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016 Census ‘Country of Birth’, accessed 17 Jan 2019, http://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC51218.
STORYTELLING
Some people were able to tell their story as a
structured narrative. Many attendees told their
story through episodes or experiences.
Homelessness is often associated with trauma,
and indeed can be a deeply traumatic
experience in itself. As such, homelessness can
be a dislocating and disordering experience, and
this was reflected in the way people told their
stories.
DISLOCATION
‘I’m not from here, I’m from Victoria [or New
South Wales, or up north, or down south]’
Many (although not all) people with lived
experience identified as being ‘from’ somewhere
else. In some cases, this was so even if they had
lived in Perth for many years. According to the
2016 Census, only 34.7% of Perth residents were
born in Australia5, so being from ‘elsewhere’ isn’t
necessarily unusual in Perth.
However, many people have experienced Perth as a di�cult city to break into and make networks.
DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCES
‘Service Provider X? I don’t go there, they’re
hopeless, no good to me.’
‘Service Provider X? They’re great, I’ve been
going there for nine years, they’ve been really
important for me.’
Attendees had a wide range of experiences
with individual services providers. Attendees
talked about the importance of ‘fit’; the
culture or ‘vibe’ of particular service
providers worked for some people, and didn’t
for others. Having a range of service
providers in the region was advantageous, as
it made it more likely that people would find
the right ‘fit’ for them.
“I’m not from here, I’m from down south.”
LIVED EXPERIENCE WORKSHOP
RACISM AND OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION
‘Job service providers need to be more
culturally sensitive. We black fellas keep
Fridays free for funerals, but our job service
always makes appointments for us on
Fridays, and when we don’t go, we get
blacklisted or don’t get our payments.’
People talked about experiencing
discrimination while they were homeless, and
as well as at times when they had been
relatively securely housed. People had
experienced discrimination on the basis of
disability; because they had spent time in jail;
because they complained to service
providers, the police, or neighbours; and on
the basis of race.
#1
“Don’t do things for me unless
I am ready and willing to do some
things to help myself. You propping
me up enabled my drinking.”
LIVED EXPERIENCE WORKSHOP
Attendees expressed concerns that services – and for some people, the workshop itself – didn’t create appropriate opportunities for the knowledge and views of people with lived experience to be heard. In particular, they identified the importance of Aboriginal elders sharing their cultural learning with the younger generation.
PRACTICAL THINGSARE IMPORTANT
‘I tried Service Provider Y. It’s a wonderful place
to find community, I still go there most days.
But I couldn’t stay there, there were drugs
around and the rooms were very small and very
hot.’
‘I used to be a chef, I’d take the meat, slow
cook it overnight, the next day it’d be, just
*mwah*
Hot rooms, bad food, poor maintenance, lack of
cleanliness: these things were important to
people and when they occurred, they
presented a further barrier to accessing help.
The practical and logistical issues of
homelessness were significant, and sometimes
small things compounded. Sleeping in a car
might be manageable for a while, but being
unable to make a cup of tea when you wanted
one took a real toll over time. Some people
talked about lowering their personal standards
to cope, but that often came with a loss of
self-esteem.
EMOTIONAL THINGSARE IMPORTANT
‘I was abused in care. I can’t forgive the
Catholics. My brother got married, but I
wouldn’t go inside the church.’
‘I was abused in care. Finding a way to forgive
was really important to me, it’s how I found
some peace.’
‘My neighbor harasses me if I have any friends
over, so I’m isolated. I’ve been waiting for a
transfer for two and a half years.’
‘Share house – no locks on doors. Can’t control
who’s coming and going. My domestic violence
trauma being triggered. Lots of noise, shouting,
arguing, drugs, alcohol.’
There were many stories of experiences of
trauma – in childhood, in relationships and family,
in interactions with ‘systems’ and neighbours, and
in the experience of being homeless.
SYSTEMS (THAT TRAP)
‘I’m entrapped in poverty and violence for the
term of my life (Homeswest) to pay the wages of
6-8 bureaucrats. Private rent is una�ordable. The
life I dreamed of – physical and psychological
safety; a functioning, safe home.’
‘So much payback violence for reporting to
authorities, lived in terror, can’t have people visit.
Have to keep leaving my Homeswest villa for
violence, house-sit for warmth.’
‘Don’t do things for me unless I am ready and
willing to do some things to help myself. You
propping me up enabled my drinking.
Accountability, a hand up not a hand out. Help me
get my needs met.’
‘Going to Centrelink – you feel awful because you
know it’s going to be hard. Forms, forms, forms.
Print and scan – what? How? Prove who you are
– cost of getting ID, carrying it with you,
transiency. Literacy. Takes ages, waitlists – fed up
with lists!’
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ANALYSISThe people who attended our workshop
were generous with their stories and their
insights. They were – and are – brave,
resilient, creative and strong. Many of them
also carry heavy burdens of trauma,
ill-health, and the consequences of
decisions - their own and others.
PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDSfood, water, warmth, rest
SAFETY NEEDSsecurity, safety
BELONGNESS & LOVE NEEDSintimate relationships, friends
ESTEEM NEEDSprestiage and feeling accomplished
SELF-ACTUALISATION
achieving full potential
including creativity
#1 LIVED EXPERIENCE WORKSHOP
Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs6 is a simple
analysis of the needs that motivate human
beings. It assumes that people will seek to
meet their needs lower down in the hierarchy
before they move on to their ‘higher’ needs.
Housing is one of the basic needs, placed on the lowest tier of the hierarchy.
OUTCOMES
Whole People
6 - simplypsychology.org/maslow.html, accessed 17 Jan 2019
The lived experience stories that were shared as part of our consultations covered the whole of Maslow’s hierarchy. Basic needs, such as food, shelter and safety; psychological needs such as relationships and feeling capable in the world;
We want to consider the whole of people’s needs;and we want to see people made whole.
Imagined Housing’s first principle, then is:
LIVED EXPERIENCE WORKSHOP
through to self-actualisation, and the feeling that they were fulfilling their potential in the world (or more often, that they were trapped in various ways). They brought their whole selves to the conversation.
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The purpose of this workshop was to gain insights from
frontline or operational sta� with community service
organisations, including not-for-profits and
government. Around 30 frontline workers attended.
Attendees were invited to build on the journey
mapping completed by people with lived experience,
as well as mapping their own knowledge of strengths,
weaknesses and opportunities relating to
homelessness in the south-west metropolitan area.
#2 FRONTLINE WORKSHOP FREMANTLE TOWN HALL
30Frontlineworkers
04.12.20182-4PM
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PROCESSAttendees identified desirable
improvements that would make things
better for clients, including:
Using processes that include and empower
– co-design; plain English; technology-based
systems (for some people); NOT
technology-based systems (for some
people);
Use processes that don’t further or
re-traumatise: skilled/trained sta�; care
co-ordination;
HOUSES
A specific priority was to make connections
between people and homes. Opportunities
and gaps identified included:
Connecting housing with work: caretakers
for light industrial; live-in carers for people;
live-in gardeners; live-in key-keepers.
Connecting people with small-but-su�cient
housing: granny flats; boarders; lodgers;
as-yet-unknown-models.
Using empty buildings.
Moving the support, rather than the people,
in order to keep people connected to
existing networks such as schools.
Getting the homes we need: 1-bed social
housing was identified as being much more
di�cult to access than 2- or 3-bed
properties; allowing people to under-occupy
for the sake of other outcomes
(grandchildren, home-based work, extended
family, interests).
OPPORTUNITIES& GAPSOpportunities and gaps identified
included:
Connecting physically on an ongoing basis
through co-location of services.
Connecting physically at specific locations such
as the hospitals in the region (especially Fiona
Stanley); after hours GP clinics; libraries;
community centres; through a south-west metro
‘Homeless Connect’ event.
Connecting physically by being mobile – more
outreach, from a greater range of service
providers (e.g. Department of Communities,
mobile libraries).
Connecting in how we practice or provide
services: case management; navigation support
(e.g. volunteer facilitators, peer support);
decisions about service provision criteria (i.e.
more rigid criteria means less capacity to
practice in a connected way across services);
referrals.
Connecting through information: newsletters;
contact information; databases or shared
information sources; referrals; Interagency
Network Meeting (Rockingham).
Key gaps include in the area of weekend and
after hours services.
Further work is needed to verify whether
apparent gaps in particular locations or for
particular cohorts are real and pressing (e.g.
availability of homelessness services at Fiona
Stanley Hospital).
FRONTLINE WORKSHOP
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FRONTLINE WORKSHOP
CLIENTSClients – their diversity, their
perspectives, and their needs – were
front of mind for attendees.
Opportunities and gaps identified included:
Challenges for clients with mental health issues;
it is di�cult to access accommodation if mental
health issues are not stabilized, and di�cult to
stabilize mental health issues if someone is not
living in appropriate accommodation.
Volunteering opportunities for clients.
Peer-support models being of benefit to people
whose situations have stabilized, as well as
those currently experiencing homelessness.
The interface with job service providers; helping
clients move from unemployment to
employment is challenging. Volunteering and
other ways of easing people into employment
were identified.
Sport was identified as a potentially useful tool.
The need to provide trauma-informed;
person-centered; culturally-sensitive services.
BIG PICTUREAttendees had a range of visions for
serious change, including:
“Makehomelessness
illegal...”
Make homelessness illegal, like it is in the
UK. [Through legislation, a duty has been
imposed on local governments to provide
housing to people in need.]
Legislate housing as a human right.
The Department of Communities now
exists: what opportunities does that
present in the south-west metro area?
Community trouble-shooters – not
necessarily police, but with the authority to
intervene/keep people safe/provide safe
houses.
#2
MakingConnections
Our second Imagined Housing principle is therefore:
ANALYSISThe idea of making connections permeated almost everything that attendees at the Frontline Sta� workshop talked about. Making connections is what frontline sta� do, day-to-day. Being able to make connections between people, organisations and ideas is a valuable
tool for working around scarcity of resources. It is a necessary tool for bringing in specialist resources where they’re needed. If they’re made and maintained, connections are protective for vulnerable people, giving them networks of support.
FRONTLINE WORKSHOP
BIG PICTUREAttendees had a range of visions for
serious change, including:
Make homelessness illegal, like it is in the
UK. [Through legislation, a duty has been
imposed on local governments to provide
housing to people in need.]
Legislate housing as a human right.
The Department of Communities now
exists: what opportunities does that
present in the south-west metro area?
Community trouble-shooters – not
necessarily police, but with the authority to
intervene/keep people safe/provide safe
houses.
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#3 DECISION MAKERS WORKSHOP FREMANTLE TOWN HALL
The purpose of this workshop was to gain insights from
decision-makers in human services agencies, including
not-for-profits and government. More than 20 senior
sta� attended. Attendees were invited to imagine a
desired future state for housing and homelessness in
the south-west metro area of Perth, and describe it in a
letter to someone they cared about who would be alive
then. The letters were thoughtful, passionate and
practical.
6.12.20189:30-11AM
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DECISION MAKERS WORKSHOP
COMPLEX, BUT SIMPLE...
ENOUGH RESOURCESFOR THE RIGHT THINGS
‘…the truly shocking thing for me is how simple
it is for everyday people to end up homeless,
and how limited our capacity to get them back
into accommodation…’
‘The issue of housing/homelessness in the
area we live is complex and often confounding.
There are many interrelated problems that
homeless people face, and a lack of a�ordable
housing is only one. But if we ensured that all
people had access to shelter first, maybe many
of their other complex challenges could be
resolved incrementally.’
‘…There are very many well intentioned people
who provide a whole range of services to
people without a home, many of them
volunteers wanting to make a di�erence.
However, the majority of services don’t involve
giving people a home, but helping them to
manage their homelessness…[W]e haven’t
managed to build an e�ective response system
to ensure that if people find themselves
without a home, within days they will have a
safe and secure home and the supports they
need to maintain that home…’
Attendees were aware of a tension:
homelessness is complex. Its causes are many,
people experiencing homelessness often have
many serious needs, and our response
systems can be di�cult to navigate.
But homelessness is also simple: it is the
condition of being without a home, and having
a home solves it (although it might not solve
problems associated with keeping that home).
‘Let’s talk about pulling the funding together
and decide what we can do with this as a
collective, what we need to do to make
positive solutions in the community. Let’s get
real and say what we are doing isn’t
working…so let’s really ask how do we need to
do this di�erently.’
‘There is so much great e�ort and intent
around moving the dial on housing and
homelessness, but the problem remains and
indeed gets worse in some respects. At the
chronic end, there are a small but significant
number who fall through the gaps because of
their complexity. At other parts of the spectrum
there are blockages which perhaps could be
resolved with new resources and better use of
current resources.’
‘I would like to see a place that is inclusive,
caring, non-judgmental, where there are
enough supports and initiatives to ensure
pathways out of homelessness. Initiatives/
social enterprises/innovations that showcase
what a joined-up community can look like.’
Again, attendees at this workshop were aware
of tensions. They knew that:
There’s lots of good stu� going on, but what
we’re doing is not necessarily working; and,
Not everyone experiencing homelessness
has the same experience, or needs the same
kind of help;
We may need to move resources from one
thing to another thing.
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Right Resources
The third principle for Imagined Housing is:
ANALYSISIt was striking that attendees at this workshop were willing to be vulnerable and acknowledge that we may not be using our resources in the best possible way. This implies an openness to change, and a
commitment to pursuing outcomes, rather than ‘guarding patches’. They were also clear that there are probably insu�cient resources available if we want to deal e�ectively with homelessness in our region.
#3 DECISION MAKERS WORKSHOP
#4 BUSINESS & COMMUNITYWORKSHOP COOLBELLUP HUB (SUPPORTED BY THE CITY OF COCKBURN)
The purpose of this workshop was to gain insights, and
gauge interest from members of the community and
businesses in the region. 18 people attended, including
representatives of businesses and churches. Attendees
heard a presentation from Jonathan Shapeira, founder of
South West Australian Homeless People, a lived-experience
advocacy group. Because it was a relatively small group, we
joined in a group discussion on ideas and priorities.
6.12.20184-5:30PM
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GETTING MOREPEOPLE INVOLVEDAttendees were convinced that we need
more people to get involved, and that
there are people out there who can be
mobilized.
They identified high-impact groups (young
people, philanthropists, businesses), and
methods for getting to those people
(high-quality marketing, social media, physical
things like noticeboards and meetings).
EMPATHY
Listening to the experiences and hopes of a
person who has been homeless was powerful
and motivating.
Attendees were concerned about the impact of
trauma, and the complexity of helping people
with multiple pressing needs such as mental
health, drug and alcohol and other issues.
They noted important gaps between the public
perceptions of people experiencing
homelessness or living in social housing, and
the reality.
RESOURCES
Attendees had ideas about potential sources
of resources that could be brought to bear on
the issue of homelessness, including: Social housing that is vacant, under-occupied, or in need of maintenance; Local government land, including land that is underutilized; Self-managed superannuation funds; Industrial land, and land on the edges of the city; Vertical space; and, Land owned by churches.
#4 BUSINESS & COMMUNITY WORKSHOP
They noted that planning regulations seem to function as a control mechanism, rather than an enabling mechanism to help create the neighbourhoods we want.
ACTION
The strongest theme of this session was a
desire for action. Attendees were already in
action, as supporters of St Pat’s and other
charities, sharing their homes with others, and
engaging in (sometimes di�cult)
conversations and advocacy.
They were keen to see not-for-profits taking a
key role in making connections between people
in need and people wanting to help. There was
a level of skepticism about whether engaging in
political advocacy would be helpful, but also a
desire to find the pressure points that would
drive change. People wanted to know, ‘What do
you want me to do?’
YIMBY
‘YIMBY’ stands for ‘Yes In My Backyard’. It’s a
play on the idea of ‘NIMBY’ (Not In My
Backyard).
It resonated with many attendees, accurately
describing their preference that ‘housing needs
to be integrated – it’s about building
community’.
“What do youwant me to do?”
Y
YES IN MY BACKYARD!
We may need to move resources from one
thing to another thing.
Action YIMBY!
Our final Imagined Housing principle was this group’s priority:
ANALYSISAttendees at this workshop were engaged and passionate. They wanted to see things change, and they wanted to be involved in that change. They had ideas and knowledge that the other groups didn’t. Many were unsure about where best to put their energy, particularly because they felt that
it was unlikely that what they could do would make a di�erence unless it was co-ordinated with others. But even in the absence of an overall plan, they were getting on with doing what they could.
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In our next phase, Imagined Housing will pursue the following next steps.
RECOMMENDATIONSAND NEXT STEPS
FRIDAYS, FUNERALS
Imagined Housing organisations will
commit to scheduling things that
important to, or for, Aboriginal people
on days other than Fridays.
RENT HELP: The gap between market rent
and a�ordable rent for a low income
household is around $8,000/year.
Imagined Housing will explore options to
work with the community to cover this gap
for vulnerable households.
BY-NAME LIST
Imagined Housing organisations will
participate in the development of a
real-time list of individuals who are rough
sleeping in Perth and Fremantle. It will
ensure that we’re working in a coordinated
way to help some of the most vulnerable
members of our community.
RENT HERE: Connecting landlords who can
o�er below-market rentals and households
who need them.
RENT NEW: Purpose-built homes suitable for
a range of low-income households including
those with pets, accessibility needs, etc.
IMAGINED HOUSING HOMES
LEARN: Invite an Imagined Housing
speaker to an event.
SHARE: One thing you’ve learned –
who will you share it with?
SUPPORT: Say yes to welcoming people to
your neighbourhood. Write to your local
government to encourage planning reform;
write to your State and Federal MPs to tell
them you want to see more social and
a�ordable housing in your community.
YIMBYS OF THE SOUTH-WEST METRO
NOW
Imagined Housing
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We welcome your support in this journey! Please get in contact.
CONTACT
LEARNING FROM ELDERS
Imagined Housing organisations will
seek out opportunities to ensure that
the wisdom of Aboriginal elders is
shared with younger generations.
AFTER HOURS AND WEEKEND SERVICES
We’ll map where services are being provided after hours and on weekends.
This service o�ering has contracted as funding has become tighter.
CO-DESIGN
Imagined Housing organisations will
increasingly use co-design strategies in our
service design and service delivery
practice.
SERVICES BY LOCATION
We’ll assess services in key hubs
across the region on two axes:
by intensity and by type,
MOREENGAGEMENT HUBS(DAY CENTRES)
Explore potential locations or existing
providers who could increase their hours.
Karyn Lochore
(08) 9430 4159
stpats.com.au/imaginedhousing
NEXT
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Imagined Housing
YES IN MY BACKYARD!
SOUTH WEST METRO
WholePeople
MakingConnections
RightResources
YIMBYAction
Say YES to welcoming people into YOUR neighbourhood.
stpats.com.au/imaginedhousing