Zero Project offers collaboration for homeless to gain identification and documents for housing opportunities

Joining a housing waitlist is an impossible task without identification, and obtaining those documents can be costly for those who are sleeping rough. A collective of organisations joined forces on Thursday in a first attempt to curb homelessness around Geraldton. Organised by Zero Project, services met at the Fresh Fellowship Church to provide the community in crisis with the supporting documents required to apply for housing support. Zero Project manager Michala McMahon said it was a one-stop-shop for people sleeping rough to close the gap in homelessness. “Geraldton has such a lovely, collaborative environment, and the pure passion of everyone coming together in a short space of time to make today happen was beautiful,” she said. “There can be a massive reduction in homelessness after today.” Housing First Homelessness Initiative support co-ordinator Melissa Wharekawa said it was important to obtain ID and prioritise housing applications, as well as to seek solutions to the current housing crisis. “The most important thing is that these people are document-ready so they have their ID and have their housing applications,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see all the services coming together. “Hopefully the momentum continues of working together and prioritising people’s housing needs.”