The WAAEH recently wrote to the WA Attorney-General’s Office requesting their support in amending the WA Coroners Act 1996 to stipulate that the death of a person experiencing homelessness must be reported to the coroner.
Currently, there is no requirement in the act for such deaths to be reported, which leads to underreporting and a lack of understanding of the true impact of homelessness.
By requiring the reporting of these deaths, we can ensure that each death is properly investigated and recorded, providing valuable data to better understand the causes of homelessness and work towards preventing future deaths.
The WAAEH believes that this amendment is a crucial step towards addressing the issue of homelessness in the state.
WA is the latest state to join the call for mandatory reporting on homelessness deaths alongside New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Recent media
- NSW contemplates mandatory coronial reporting of homelessness deaths as part of policy rethink – Guardian Australia, 21 February 2024
- South Australia considering making reporting of homelessness deaths mandatory – Guardian Australia, 9 March 2024
A3HN | Australian Health, Housing & Homelessness Network 