Centacare Kimberley turns away 46 homeless people due to high demand

Centacare Kimberley turned away 46 homeless people seeking shelter from their Broome office over six months earlier this year due to overwhelming demand for services. This alarming figure, covering the January-June period, reflects the increasing number of people in the Broome area who have been made homeless. Centacare provides access to short term accommodation, advocacy, tenancy information and support in applying for housing. According to Centacare’s leader for Housing and Homelessness, Deirdre Lechleitner, the majority of the organisation’s clients are Indigenous. She says the recent increase in homelessness has been caused by mental illness, domestic violence, and the cost-of-living crisis. Findings from the most recent Regional Price Index report show that in 2023 the Kimberley suffered from the highest food prices in WA, and its median house prices were higher than the comparable figure for Perth. The Kimberley also suffers from having the highest rates of family violence in WA. According to WA Police statistics, the rate of family assaults in the Kimberley is more than 16.5 times that of the metropolitan area — 11,366 assaults per 100,000 people, compared with 682 in the metro area in 2022-23. Housing and Homeless Minister John Carey responded to the 2024 Centacare Kimberley figures saying, “the State Government is acutely aware of the current housing market across the country and its impacts on many Western Australians”. He highlighted the Cook Government’s recent injection of $190,000 to Centacare Kimberley, which he deemed a “recognition of the service”. “In addition, the State Government has invested a further $58.8 million in programs to address homelessness and support people into social housing and home ownership in the Kimberley region under the $200 million North West Aboriginal Housing Fund,” Mr Carey said. However Ms Lechleitner believes the persistent cycle of homelessness in Broome stems from a myriad of psychological and social issues, not just from insufficient housing. “You can give someone a house, but their problems are still going to be there when living in the new house,” she said. “Imagine having somewhere you can stay and get daily support with counselling, and financial and relationship advice, where people can learn to develop improved living skills,” she said. The team leader also cites poorly built Government housing as a reason people in Broome are ending up homeless. “You can get a lot of funding to build sustainable houses, but in 20 years those houses are eroding because the materials that have been used are quite cheap,” she said. “It is important to provide hard, sturdy houses that are going to last long, and not get easily damaged or waterlogged.” In August, prominent law firm Slater and Gordon filed a class action on behalf of thousands of Aboriginal public housing tenants living in remote communities across WA, including the Kimberley. The class action accuses the Housing Authority and State of WA of breaching numerous residential tenancy, contract and consumer protection laws over the past 14 years. It also accuses the State Government of unconscionable conduct. All Aboriginal public housing tenants in East Kimberley, West Kimberley, Pilbara, Wheatbelt, Mid West, Gascoyne, and Goldfields-Esperance are included in the lawsuit. In response to the class action suit, the Department of Communities issued a statement via a spokesperson. “The Housing Authority is unable to comment on the Slater and Gordon notice of action at this time, as it is before the Court. “Funding and construction of new housing in remote Aboriginal communities was previously a shared responsibility between State and Commonwealth Governments, with a significant funding contribution from the Commonwealth.” Despite Government’s investment, lack of affordable housing continues to be a significant problem in the Kimberley region.