“They’re human, man. If you give them coffee it is always going to make them feel good. But it was costing me $300 to $400 a week, that's what it used to be. Loading “It was a big, big issue here in the street, there was a major problem, I had at one stage more homeless lining up than customers.” Homelessness has been the subject of never-ending angst from struggling CBD retailers over a year that has not only seen the economy struggle, but has also brought story after story of Western Australia’s most vulnerable people bouncing around a system that seemed to be perpetuating homelessness rather than ending it. But this week has brought a glimmer of hope for those people, those businesses and the services stretched to breaking point, as the government has finally released its long awaited 10-year strategy and with it significant funding for a game-changing “housing first” approach such as those already adopted in Ireland, New Zealand and Canada.

Housing First turns the traditional model on its head; instead of expecting people to address their mental illness or addictions before being housed, Housing First means they get a permanent home with no readiness conditions. Then, they can realistically and meaningfully address other issues. On Wednesday the government announced a $72 million investment over five years to develop two facilities to provide permanent affordable housing, with wraparound supports, for people experiencing chronic homelessness. The opposition has slammed the announcement as lacking specifics and representing another "plan for a plan". Half the money will pay for two ‘Common Ground’ apartment complexes to be built over three years which will come with intensive case management to help people regain control over their lives, with the government and City of Perth negotiating over the best location. The other half is for Housing First initiatives, one being rental subsidies, across WA including in Perth, Rockingham, Mandurah, Bunbury and Geraldton.

Wednesday's announcement follows one on Tuesday, of a $150 million investment for 300 new social housing properties, plus $6 million for 70 renovations, plus $19 million for Keystart. Loading This is all in addition to the $90 million existing homelessness spend. The strategy, All Paths Lead to a Home – Western Australia’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030 – was announced 16 months ago. The document finally released on Wednesday has four focuses: housing provision, homelessness prevention, improving Aboriginal wellbeing and strengthening and co-ordinating responses through a "No Wrong Door" approach. It explicitly commits to Housing First.

“The first and primary goal is to provide people access to safe and stable housing without preconditions or judgement,” it says. “Individual supports can then be provided as required, to address other needs. To enable this approach, the system must be supported by low-barrier and low-threshold accommodation and housing options as well as flexible and appropriate services that are tailored to individual needs, acknowledging that for some people these may be needed long-term.” The first of two five-year “action plans” will first target ending rough sleeping and the No Wrong Door system. Preventative measures, including intervention for those at risk of exiting foster care, hospital or prison straight into homelessness, are for the second action plan. “Action plans” will be followed by “detailed implementation plans” then “commissioning processes” and “governance frameworks” and finally “outcomes measurement”. Kickstart for WA construction

The community and property sectors said this was a well thought out move that would stimulate broader economic growth. Western Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Louise Giolitto said consecutive governments’ activity around housing in recent years had been on ‘affordable’ home ownership, but for those on the lowest incomes buying their own home remained far out of reach. The announcement was an important recognition of the need for more housing that sat outside of private home ownership and market rentals. In August, Perth man Allan Connolly shared his experience with WAtoday, explaining how grief and bad luck had ended in a period of homelessness. She said supplying public and community housing was one of the most effective mechanisms the state had to assist people out of poverty and homelessness, and stable accommodation would make it easier for people to find jobs.

Urban Development Institute of Australia WA chief executive Tanya Steinbeck said it would also provide a much-needed activity injection that would support jobs, training and apprenticeships in the building industry. She said the extra investments were sensible measures that would help more people into their own home. Shelter WA said it would leverage the capability of the community housing sector, reduce pressure on the police and justice systems and cause ripple benefits to the broader community and WA economy. ‘Another Plan for a Plan’ But opposition homelessness spokesman Tony Kristevic said the strategy had been released after nearly three years in government and was best described as yet another plan for a plan.

For now, things are the same – almost. Credit:Hamish Hastie He said the opposition had dragged the government kicking and screaming to do something about homelessness and now their "latest Band-Aid looks a lot like all their other major projects; all talk and no action." "One part of their plan is the creation of two common ground facilities, but in three years of government, Labor has no idea where they will go, when construction will start and when it will be completed," he said. He said construction had not yet started on Metronet, Medihotels or the expansion of Joondalup Health Campus and this would be no different. "WA is faced with a homelessness crisis now, so we need action now – not an ad-hoc announcement to be delivered some way into the very distant future," he said.

"This government slashed funding for government housing in their first three years—and now they are now playing catch-up." Loading For now, the situation on Perth streets remains the same – almost. Riyad Al Absawi has come up with a 'pay it forward' campaign, which now allows customers to buy coffees or toasties for the homeless, levelling out the money he used to lose. He said it shouldn’t be up to small businesses to tackle the issue alone.