Sandy Anghie - Homelessness Week
Week 10 Campaign update.
Homelessness Week
This week is Homelessness Week, highlighting the collective actions needed by community, together with all levels of government to help break the cycle of homelessness.
People need a home to end homelessness, but it’s no secret that we face a very difficult rental and housing market. The rising cost of living is adding extra pressure and community services are struggling to keep up.
Addressing homelessness requires a multi-layered, whole of community approach.
As your Lord Mayor, homelessness will be a priority - working collaboratively with the State Government and the community - including:
Looking at options to re-establish the City’s Safe Night Space program in an alternate format and location. The City’s Safe Night Space program is currently scheduled to end this year
Work constructively with the State Government and the community to explore diverse and appropriate accommodation options that are supported by the community
Collaborate with the Aboriginal community and State Government on the expansion of Aboriginal outreach services in the City
Divert resources from parking inspectors to allow for more community patrols, directing resources to where they are needed
Support for co-ordination of services
Safe Night Space. The concept of a Safe Night Space was a commitment I took to the 2020 election for Perth Lord Mayor. This was ultimately the model chosen by the City for a two year trial. The trial was successful with:
795 women supported on 13,890 occasions
and 238 women transitioned out of rough sleeping
But the trial wasn’t without challenges - with negative impacts for the East Perth neighbourhood. You can read the complete report provided to Council at the February 2023 Council Meeting via the link here.
At the February 2023 Council Meeting the majority of Council, myself included, voted to investigate options for a version of this service at another location, rather than shut the service down entirely. A safe and liveable city is one that supports vulnerable people in the community.
Delivering effective and practical solutions to help address homelessness in Perth will create a safer, more vibrant, and inclusive city where people come to live, play, work and study – a world class 24-hour liveable city.
Further, the Safe Night Space program provides a precedent for other Councils. If every Council could commit to a program like this in its own area, we could collectively have a positive impact.
Housing diversity. Earlier this year the Council endorsed development incentives for our CBD (which commenced on 1 July 2023) including waiving all City fees for new residential development applications, and a 3-year 50% residential rate reimbursement for eligible developments.
This program could be expanded to include West Perth and Northbridge. In particular, the precinct encompassing Stirling and Pier Streets in Northbridge which is already home to student accommodation.
With Royal Perth Hospital and the Police Station in close proximity, as well as ECU City Campus on the way, further City incentives can assist in boosting accommodation close to work for essential workers and students - the City thereby playing its part in helping to address the challenges of the current housing crisis.
This is an initiative I am committed to if elected Perth Lord Mayor.
Support for co-ordination of services. There are many good people in our community volunteering their time to help people without a home. One of those people is Jane Armstrong with her organisation Homeslessness We Care Perth (HWCP).
HWCP is run by Jane and her partner Simone, who recognised the enormous need within the City. HWCP provides a regular food run on Tuesday nights and awareness programs both within schools and the wider community to educate people about homelessness. Jane and Simone both work full time jobs, Jane as a nurse, are parents and provide this incredible service from the good of their hearts.
I caught up with Jane last week (pictured below) and she noted an increase in people seeking their help, with many this winter facing the choice between heating or eating.
It’s been a busy 10 weeks since launching my campaign for Perth Lord Mayor at the October 2023 election. I have been visiting residents and businesses across our City neighbourhoods every day to get their direct feedback on what we can do better. Great cities of the world are always striving to be better.
My Plan for Perth
My campaign platform is inclusive of our City’s communities and addresses the things that matter to residents and businesses. Here’s a summary:
Make Perth a 24 Hour City, building on the incoming ECU City Campus
Enhanced safety measures
Improve transparency and accountability
Keep rates low and make residential parking permits free
Work with all levels of Government to tackle homelessness
Refresh key streets and laneways in every City neighbourhood
If you would like to hear more about my campaign platform, or have your own ideas about what the City could do better, I would be pleased to catchup. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via helloperth@sandyanghie.com
Calling all City of Perth Residents and Businesses!
While the election is a few months away, now is the time to enrol to vote. To have your say, you must be enrolled to vote by Friday 25th August 2023.
While you may have enrolled previously, a number of people have found that they have slipped off the roll, as it is regularly revised by the City of Perth. So it’s important to check that you are still on there and if not, restore your right to vote. You can check by sending an email to election@cityofperth.wa.gov.au
If you like my plans for Perth, and want to vote, you need to enrol now.
Enrol to vote
To enrol to vote, follow these steps:
Click the “enrol to vote” button below to go to my website. Scroll down on the home page of my website and click the “enrol to vote” button there.
This will take you to a City of Perth website. Click “How do I enrol”.
Fill out the relevant forms depending on your status as a: resident; property owner; or leaseholder.
Then send these forms back to the City of Perth.
The boundaries of the City take in the CBD, Northbridge, East Perth, Claisebrook Cove, West Perth, Crawley and part of Nedlands.
I encourage you to make sure you can have your say in who represents our capital city by enrolling to vote before the 25th of August.
A vote for Sandy Anghie as Lord Mayor is a vote for a full time, full term Lord Mayor. If you have a vision for your city, you need to stay the course so you can implement it.
It’s what voters expect, and with me – it’s what they will get.
In addition to commitments I have announced to date, I will be announcing a range of further commitments over the coming months. And I will be listening to you - our City’s residents, businesses and community groups. I look forward to hearing your ideas and feedback.
Get in touch
If you would like to hear more about my campaign platform, or have your own ideas about what the City could do better, I would be pleased to catchup. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via helloperth@sandyanghie.com
I will be back in touch with regular campaign updates. In the meantime, here is a link to my campaign website.
A vote for Sandy Anghie as Lord Mayor is a vote for a modern, progressive city, that truly grabs the opportunities in front of it. The best way forward for Perth is together.