City of Canning Supports National Homelessness Week 2024

The City of Canning is proud to support Homelessness Week 2024, which will take place from Monday 5 August to Sunday 11 August.

The City recognises that homelessness is a complex and growing issue affecting people in Canning, and is committed to working collaboratively across government, not-for-profits, community, business, and those with lived experience to help prevent and respond to the challenges of homelessness.

According to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 122,494 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness nation-wide on Census night in 2021.

Mayor Patrick Hall said that having community involvement is important and the City hopes to raise awareness about the causes and impacts of homelessness through local initiatives, including:

• FoodBank WA Food Drive: From 5 August to 18 August, the City will be running a food drive in partnership with FoodBank WA. Residents are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items, personal hygiene, and household items at designated locations, including the Administration Building and local libraries.
• "Eye Contact" Rotary Club Exhibition at Riverton Library: In collaboration with the Rotary Club, the City will host the "Eye Contact" photographic exhibition at Cannington Library from 19 August to 25 August. Captured by Perth photographer Phil England, this exhibition features the stories of 20 West Australians experiencing homelessness. "Eye Contact" seeks to humanise and change societal perceptions of homelessness, encouraging empathy and understanding.

“These initiatives provide tangible ways for our community to get involved, while supporting our community to get involved and help those in need.” said Mayor Hall.

The City is in the process of drafting a new Homelessness Action Plan which will be open for public comment at the City’s YourSay website by mid-August 2024.

For more information, please visit Homelessness and crisis support page or Homelessness Week website.