- Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness initiative Advance to Zero recipient of prestigious World Habitat Award
- Cook Labor Government has provided nearly $5.6 million in funding to the By-Name List and the Advance to Zero project since 2020
- World Habitat Awards presented in partnership with United Nations
The Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (WAAEH) Advance to Zero (AtoZ) initiative has been awarded a prestigious World Habitat Award, presented annually in partnership with UN-Habitat.
The Cook Labor Government is the first WA Government to fund the By-Name List and Advance to Zero project and to date has provided $5.6 million, including a recent funding provision of $900,000 in 2024.
This international recognition highlights the transformative work being done across Australia - including five communities across WA - to end homelessness, starting with rough sleeping.
The World Habitat Awards celebrate innovative, sustainable solutions that improve lives globally. The Advance to Zero initiative was selected as one of nine winners out of 111 applicants, showcasing its impact.
Western Australia has seen remarkable achievements through the Advance to Zero initiative, with communities demonstrating measurable progress at key points in time, including:
- in September 2023, Mandurah became the second Australian city to be formally recognised for its significant progress in reducing rough sleeping. Over six consecutive months, the community demonstrated a critical step towards ending homelessness by achieving sustained reductions in the number of people sleeping rough;
- in May 2023, Geraldton became the first WA community to record zero people over the age of 55 sleeping rough; and
- by December 2023, Geraldton achieved another major success, becoming the third Australian community to record a measurable reduction in street homelessness.
Since the commencement of the Advance to Zero initiative in WA, and through collective efforts, 1,858 people have been placed into permanent housing, showcasing the power of collaboration and the impact this approach has in tackling homelessness. The communities involved with AtoZ in WA are Perth, Mandurah, Rockingham, Bunbury and Geraldton.
As stated by Homelessness Minister John Carey:
"The Cook Labor Government is the first WA Government to fund the By-Name List, and recognition through this prestigious award highlights the Advance to Zero project's importance.
"Our Government recognises the value of regular and up-to-date data to track rough sleeping in our community, which is why we have invested significantly in the By-Name List and the Advance to Zero project.
"Under our Government, we've provided significant funding boosts, including an expansion of assertive outreach in key locations across the Perth CBD, Midland, Joondalup, Stirling, Rockingham, Mandurah and Fremantle areas.
"In fact - through our boosted outreach services - we've been actively working to get more people onto the By-Name List and to ensure vulnerable individuals, who may be rough sleeping, have contact with and access to relevant support services.
"As a Government, we're focused on delivering a Housing First Approach, which prioritises providing stable accommodation to rough sleepers while ensuring they have the wrap-around supports they need to sustain their tenancy to break the cycle of homelessness."
As stated by Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness executive officer David Pearson:
"Winning a World Habitat Award is an incredible honour for the Advance to Zero movement. It shines a global spotlight on our efforts to end homelessness, starting with rough sleeping.
"This recognition will inspire hope, encourage the local communities doing this hard work and reinforce that homelessness can be ended in Western Australia.
"In Western Australia, we've seen record investment by the WA Government in recent years and a strong commitment to Housing First.
"This award is a huge vote of confidence in the community-driven work happening across WA."
