Australian Zero Homelessness Summit 2024 wrap up

In October 2024 The Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (WAAEH) hosted the biennial Australian Zero Homelessness Summit, a week filled with impactful events focused not just on addressing homelessness but understanding how we can end it in our communities. Nearly 1,000 participants, including local and state representatives, CEOs, philanthropy leaders, frontline workers, and business professionals, gathered across the week of events to collaborate on solutions and share knowledge.

The week kicked off with a local government workshop on Tuesday, led by Leanne Mitchel, focusing on strategies for engaging and working with local governments to end homelessness. On Wednesday, the Zero Homelessness Summit featured powerful keynote speakers from local, national, and international backgrounds, including individuals with lived experience of homelessness. Attendees participated in insightful breakout sessions and valuable networking opportunities to connect, share experiences, and deepen their understanding.

Thursday’s AtoZ Learning Session and Friday’s AHVTT training provided frontline workers, AtoZ Communities and those interested in establishing AtoZ programs with essential training and knowledge. Throughout the week, we were fortunate to hear from diverse voices offering innovative ideas and solutions for ending homelessness together.

This collaborative effort reinforced a vital message: homelessness is solvable. While each of us faces unique challenges, the collective responsibility and power to create change lies within our community. The Summit brought together a wide range of voices—from those with lived experience of homelessness to professionals across homelessness services, government, academia, and beyond. It was inspiring to see so many passionate individuals united in pursuit of the same goal.

The event highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration, both within Western Australia and nationally, emphasising the need to nurture relationships for mutual learning and efficient resource use. It also showcased WAAEH’s work and the impact of our projects, which can serve as valuable references for other states. Local action, tailored to specific community needs and resources, was recognised as essential, alongside the broader recognition at the state and national levels.

The energy and commitment shared during the event were truly inspiring, reinforcing our potential to make meaningful, lasting change in the fight to end homelessness.

To support the ongoing efforts and encourage those who may have missed out we have compiled the slide decks and resources from the Summit. You can access them here.

The event would not have been possible without the support of our community and our generous sponsors:

Accordwest, Anglicare, City Fremantle, Community Solutions, CSNET, Department of Communities, Housing Choices, LotteryWest , Mercy Care, Mercy Foundation, Micah, Mission, Sidney Myer Foundation, Neami, OrgCode, Ruah, Salvation Army, Shelter WA, Simon Community Glasgow, Sisters St John of God, Social Futures, St Barts, St Pats, Uniting WA & Vinnies

01/11/2024 EventNews and EventsWAAEH