Data

General Issues
Housing
Planning & Development
Specific Topics
Homelessness
Affordable Housing
Youth Issues
Location
Western Australia
Australia
Scope of Influence
Regional
Start Date
End Date
Ongoing
No
Time Limited or Repeated?
A single, defined period of time
Purpose/Goal
Make, influence, or challenge decisions of government and public bodies
Deliver goods & services
Develop the civic capacities of individuals, communities, and/or civil society organizations
Approach
Consultation
Co-governance
Spectrum of Public Participation
Involve
Open to All or Limited to Some?
Open to All With Special Effort to Recruit Some Groups
Recruitment Method for Limited Subset of Population
Stratified Random Sample
Targeted Demographics
Youth
Men
Women
General Types of Methods
Deliberative and dialogic process
Collaborative approaches
Participatory arts
General Types of Tools/Techniques
Facilitate dialogue, discussion, and/or deliberation
Propose and/or develop policies, ideas, and recommendations
Inform, educate and/or raise awareness
Legality
Yes
Facilitators
Yes
Facilitator Training
Professional Facilitators
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Face-to-Face
Types of Interaction Among Participants
Discussion, Dialogue, or Deliberation
Storytelling
Information & Learning Resources
Written Briefing Materials
Site Visits
Participant Presentations
Decision Methods
Idea Generation
General Agreement/Consensus
Communication of Insights & Outcomes
Public Report
Type of Organizer/Manager
Non-Governmental Organization
Regional Government
Funder
Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia
Type of Funder
Government-Owned Corporation
Evidence of Impact
Yes
Types of Change
Changes in people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavior
Implementers of Change
Lay Public
Stakeholder Organizations
Formal Evaluation
No

CASE

Action plan to #EndHomelessness in Western Australia

January 31, 2023 friedel.marquardt
General Issues
Housing
Planning & Development
Specific Topics
Homelessness
Affordable Housing
Youth Issues
Location
Western Australia
Australia
Scope of Influence
Regional
Start Date
End Date
Ongoing
No
Time Limited or Repeated?
A single, defined period of time
Purpose/Goal
Make, influence, or challenge decisions of government and public bodies
Deliver goods & services
Develop the civic capacities of individuals, communities, and/or civil society organizations
Approach
Consultation
Co-governance
Spectrum of Public Participation
Involve
Open to All or Limited to Some?
Open to All With Special Effort to Recruit Some Groups
Recruitment Method for Limited Subset of Population
Stratified Random Sample
Targeted Demographics
Youth
Men
Women
General Types of Methods
Deliberative and dialogic process
Collaborative approaches
Participatory arts
General Types of Tools/Techniques
Facilitate dialogue, discussion, and/or deliberation
Propose and/or develop policies, ideas, and recommendations
Inform, educate and/or raise awareness
Legality
Yes
Facilitators
Yes
Facilitator Training
Professional Facilitators
Face-to-Face, Online, or Both
Face-to-Face
Types of Interaction Among Participants
Discussion, Dialogue, or Deliberation
Storytelling
Information & Learning Resources
Written Briefing Materials
Site Visits
Participant Presentations
Decision Methods
Idea Generation
General Agreement/Consensus
Communication of Insights & Outcomes
Public Report
Type of Organizer/Manager
Non-Governmental Organization
Regional Government
Funder
Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia
Type of Funder
Government-Owned Corporation
Evidence of Impact
Yes
Types of Change
Changes in people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavior
Implementers of Change
Lay Public
Stakeholder Organizations
Formal Evaluation
No

With approximately 9,000 people experiencing homelessness each day in Western Australia (WA), [1] WA developed a Strategy to End Homelessness for WA regions to create context-specific action plans to combat homelessness, with a major focus on the Youth Homelessness Action Plan.

Problems and Purpose

Homelessness is a pressing issue, with over 24,500 people in WA receiving support from homelessness services in 2016-2017. [2] The Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (WAAEH) was released in 2018 and provided a common state-wide framework for regions to use to further develop context specific action plans to combat homelessness [3]. These action plans were to draw on the “lived experiences of those experiencing homelessness, their knowledge and their meanings, and draw from best practice within systems thinking and human-centred design” [4]. The strategy also fed into the broader WA 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030, which builds on the work of the action plans. [5] 


Background History and Context

In 2018, the Western Australia Alliance to End Homelessness released a 10-year strategy to combat and end homelessness by 2028 [6]. The strategy has five core strategic areas: housing; prevention; a strong and coordinated response; data, research and targets; and building community capacity. [7] This strategy led to the pursuit of various action plans to combat specific contexts of homelessness, such as location and available resources, and demographic specific instances of homelessness, such as youth homelessness [8] & [9]. Using co-design processes, the Youth Homelessness Action Plan drew on the insights of youth who have experienced homelessness along with other key stakeholders and organizations [10]. 


Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities

The WA Alliance to End Homelessness engaged with the Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia to understand the co-design process and develop a range of resources for other regions in WA to use to develop their action plans. [11] 

The Youth Homelessness Action Plan specifically was organized by the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia, who recruited participants to take part in the Homeless Youth Advisory Council (HYAC) and other stakeholders, as well as employing council staff to help with this initiative. [12] 


Participant Recruitment and Selection

The Youth Homelessness Action Plan was developed in collaboration with a team that consisted of the input of 10 young people who had experienced homelessness and who made up a Homelessness Youth Advisory Council (HYAC), along with a group made up of key stakeholders from youth organizations and government agencies, and a ‘design squad’ to aid in facilitating the process. [13] & [14] 


Methods and Tools Used

The homelessness action plans were to follow a co-design process that emphasized the input of people with lived experiences of homelessness and key stakeholders in combatting homelessness, such as government agencies and community organizations. [15] This meant that the action plans were to be community-led, largely based on the knowledge of those people currently or recently experiencing homelessness in a certain region and/or demographic, and drawing on co-design processes to develop the context-specific action plan. [16] & [17] The WA Strategy to End Homelessness outlined some cohort-specific actions that would be pursued, including action plans for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence, children and young people, Aboriginal people, single adults sleeping rough, and older people. [18] These plans would also have further sections to understand the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people, refugees and others facing disadvantage within these larger groups. [19] 


What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation

The Youth Homelessness Action Plan design team met for multiple workshops from April to June 2019, and used tools such as ‘system maps’, ‘journey maps’, and ‘future narratives’ as part of the co-design process. [20] This also included a ‘service safari’: an excursion for members of the youth advisors in the team to visit youth homelessness organizations in the area and learn of their services and to inform the larger team for the development of the action plan. [21] 

Three workshops, or Youth Action Labs, were held over the course of three months (April – June 2019), with each workshop focusing on a certain area of the co-design process. This was modeled on six recommended steps presented in the Action Plan Co-Design Toolkit. [22] There were also key events that took place in between workshops that built on the previous workshop and fed into the following workshop. Below is an outline of what took place: [23] 

  • Workshop 1 (Co-discovery) involved the whole team (HYAC and key stakeholders) and design squad. 
  • Inter-workshop project: design research which involved interviews, ‘service safaris’, shadowing and desktop research. 
  • Workshop 2 (Co-define and Co-inspire) involved the whole team and design squad. 
  • Inter-workshop project: prototype and test 
  • Workshop 3 (Co-develop) involved the whole team and design squad. 
  • Finalizing action plan (done by the design squad) 

The WA Alliance to End Homelessness lists a few reasons why these Youth Action Labs were a success: power sharing, prioritizing relationships, giving space for different ways of knowing, embracing diversity, and frequently testing ideas. [24] 


Influence, Outcomes, and Effects

Along with developing an action plan to combat youth homelessness, there were also a few other positive outcomes from the co-design approach. These outcomes were mainly around increased understanding between and among those experiencing or who had experienced homelessness and service providers, along with a greater sense of hope and belonging for those impacted by homelessness. [25] & [26] Another key outcome of the initiative was the prevention of some youth who were advising in the process from becoming homeless again due to the connections they formed by being part of the process. [27] 


Analysis and Lessons Learned

Drawing on the immediate feedback from the Youth Homelessness Action Plan, there have been largely positive participant outcomes from the co-design initiatives, such as through increased understanding and empathy between stakeholders. There is also a recognition of engaging with people who are and have been impacted by homelessness when responding to issues of homelessness. [28] & [29] 


See Also

Danjoo Koorliny – a slideshow outlining some of the co-design process for creating an action plan focusing on issues around Aboriginal homelessness. 

Town of Victoria Park – Homelessness Policy Implementation Plan 

City of Joondalup & City of Wanneroo Regional Homelessness Plan 

City Homeless Framework Committee Action Plan – City of Perth 

City of Bayswater Local Homelessness Strategy 

All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030 – Action Plan 2020-2025 


References

[1] Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (2018) The Western Australian Strategy to End Homelessness. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/268771  

[2] Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (2018) The Western Australian Strategy to End Homelessness. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/268771   

[3] Ibid., p. 13  

[4] Ibid., p. 13  

[5] Department of Communities, Government of Western Australia (2019) All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030. Available at: https://www.wa.gov.au/government/document-collections/all-paths-lead-home-western-australias-10-year-strategy-homelessness-2020-2030 

[6] The Youth Affairs Council of WA (2019) The Western Australian Strategy to End Homelessness: Youth Homelessness Action Plan. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/268766   

[7] Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (2018) The Western Australian Strategy to End Homelessness. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/268771  

[8] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Case Study: Developing an Action Plan to #EndHomelessness. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design   

[9] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (n.d.) Homelessness Action Plans. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/homelessness-action-plans   

[10] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Case Study: Developing an Action Plan to #EndHomelessness. Available at: https://assets.csi.edu.au/assets/research/Youth-Action-Plan-to-End-Homelessness_Case-Study.pdf  

[11] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (n.d.) Co-Design Resources. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design   

[12] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Action Plan Co-design Toolkit. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design  

[13] The Youth Affairs Council of WA (2019) The Western Australian Strategy to End Homelessness: Youth Homelessness Action Plan. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/268766, p. 1 

[14] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Case Study: Developing an Action Plan to #EndHomelessness. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design  

[15] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Action Plan Co-design Toolkit. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design  

[16] The Youth Affairs Council of WA (2019) The Western Australian Strategy to End Homelessness: Youth Homelessness Action Plan. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/268766  

[17] Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (2018) The Western Australian Strategy to End Homelessness. Available at: https://apo.org.au/node/268771  

[18] Ibid., p. 15  

[19] Ibid.  

[20] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Case Study: Developing an Action Plan to #EndHomelessness. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design  

[21] Ibid.  

[22] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Action Plan Co-design Toolkit. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design  

[23] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Case Study: Developing an Action Plan to #EndHomelessness. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design  

[24] Ibid.  

[25] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Case Study: Developing an Action Plan to #EndHomelessness. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design  

[26] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Action Plan Co-design Toolkit. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design  

[27] WA Alliance to End Homelessness (2019) Case Study: Developing an Action Plan to #EndHomelessness. Available at: https://www.endhomelessnesswa.com/co-design  

[28] Department of Communities, Government of Western Australia (2019) All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030. Available at: https://www.wa.gov.au/government/document-collections/all-paths-lead-home-western-australias-10-year-strategy-homelessness-2020-2030  

[29] Department of Communities, Government of Western Australia (2019) All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030. Available at: https://www.wa.gov.au/government/document-collections/all-paths-lead-home-western-australias-10-year-strategy-homelessness-2020-2030 


External Links

Notes