Earlier this month, the South Australian Government became the first jurisdiction in Australia to support a statewide end to homelessness. Ahead of the upcoming state election in March, the homelessness sector and allies have come together to write an open letter to leaders of the Liberal, Labor and Greens parties detailing what is needed to meet that commitment.

SAAEH is seeking to highlight how taking action on homelessness is a matter of urgency, given an estimated 20 people died in South Australia in 2020 while sleeping rough.

The South Australian Alliance to End Homelessness brings together a range of people and organisations committed to taking action to end homelessness in South Australia.

In the letter, SAAEH has highlighted how important additional funding is to achieve an end to homelessness.

David Pearson, spokesperson for SAAEH, explained that the letter has been sent to the Premier with the goal of attracting the support needed from governments across the country.

“Ending homelessness can’t just be the job of the housing minister – it’s about mental health, corrections and many other government agencies. We need to treat rough sleeping homelessness in particular as much as a health issue as a housing issue.”

Pearson has also expressed how the global pandemic demonstrated the real opportunity that SA has to end homelessness on its streets.

“When COVID first hit, the government really stepped up and supported the sector to provide temporary accommodation to people experiencing homelessness to protect them from the virus. Our response to the pandemic has shown that we can end homelessness, but to do so requires sustained effort and the investments needed to back it up.”

“Most importantly, we need the federal government to step up and take a leadership role in efforts to end homelessness.”

The South Australian Alliance to End Homelessness brings together a range of people and organisations committed to taking action to end homelessness in South Australia.

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