FIRST STEP...
a safe place to sleep
The 2016 census found that
116,000 Australians are experiencing homelessness…
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We are committed to help people in crisis...
By providing immediate and safe accommodation, we avoid the serious social problems associated with sleeping rough.
Our vision is for the First Step ‘on the street’ model to be positioned in and around communities experiencing friends and family sleeping rough in their communities.
First Step’s unique model collaborates with local communities to create a self-sustaining community enterprise that provides mobile crisis accommodation and outreach services to help people make the ‘first step’ on their journey out of homelessness.
Our Solutions
Mobile Infrastructure
Designed to be moved by a standard council 4-wheel drive vehicles, First Steps mobile infrastructure allows for the accommodation and support facilities to be temporarily positioned in or near CBD’s and Inner-city hospitals, remote communities or declared disaster zones.
On the Street Access
Leveraging off existing public infrastructure that is underutilized, it is our vision, for the mobile First Step ‘on the street’ model to be positioned in and around areas experiencing visable evidence of homelessness throughout Australia.
General Practice
Mobile GP & Nursing services with an aim to link people experiencing homelessness into long-term GP care and reduce hospitalisation and emergency room visits.
Meals
Research shows that the lack of nutrition associated with poor access to food creates increased health problems including hospitalisation and emergency room treatment.
Free Phone & Internet Services
Free phone and internet service to allow people to maintain and build the social networks that are key to ending and preventing homelessness.
Secure
The First Step mobile facilities are staffed by security professionals during the evening and removed from public spaces the following morning prior to commencement of the business day.
Social Work & Advocacy
Social workers are available on the street to simply chat or provide advocacy and on-referral within the health, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and medium to long term housing systems.
Case Management
Providing a collaborative and planned approach to ensuring that a person who experiences homelessness gets the support to move forward with their lives.
Rehabilitation
Outreach service partners with rehabilitation programs have a central location at First Step to actively make contact with people experiencing drug and alcohol issues.
The Problem
On any given night of the year in Western Australia – over 9,000 people are experiencing homelessness. In addition to this number, a further 7,000 people are living in insecure accommodation – one step from homelessness.
Every day in Western Australia, crisis accommodation providers receive over 100 requests for short term accommodation and every night two thirds of these requests are unmet leaving people sleeping on the streets.
Royal Perth Hospital Emergency Department Physician Dr Amanda Stafford has estimated that 3% of Emergency admissions are attributable to the city’s homeless population and that 70% of the system’s frequent patients are drawn from this population.
Leading Criminologist Professor Elaine Baldry has highlighted the significant costs borne by society to support this homeless population. Its effects are felt through health, justice, social care and law enforcement systems.
What can you do?
Local Government is integral. Any advocacy that you could provide helps make local council more aware of homelessness strategies available.
