The loss of a critical women's shelter in Perth's CBD is "devastating" and will leave women with little choice but to return to violence or sleep rough.
Key points:
- The East Perth Safe Space for women shut on Wednesday night
- Funding from the City of Perth has dried up
- The service helped up to 25 vulnerable women each night
That's the message from staff who have been helping up to 25 vulnerable women each night at the East Perth Safe Night Space, run by community support service Ruah.
About three out of five of these women have been escaping family and domestic violence, and include those who are elderly, have a disability or are pregnant, according to Ruah's executive manager of services, Elsie Blay.
"The sad reality for these women is there are no other options," she said.
"This is the only low-barrier service where women can walk in off the streets at any time of the night and seek shelter."
The saga has made headlines due to a high-profile back and forth between Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas, the premier and various government ministers.
"Women are watching this story unfold on the news, wondering what will happen with their future, wondering how safe they'll be and where they'll be able to go next week to make sure they're not hurt," Ms Blay said.
"A worst-case scenario is that someone gets sexually assaulted in the park, that they die, that they're unable to have the supports they need to stay safe."
Centre shuts despite pleas
The City of Perth had funded the service and given it a building for the last two-and-a-half years, but that arrangement came to an end last night.
It was the result of a council decision in February which the city said reflected residents' desire to have the building returned for their use.
The decision remained unchanged despite weeks of pleas from service provider Ruah, the head of Royal Perth Hospital's homeless health team, and leading voices across the homelessness sector who said record numbers of women were sleeping rough.
They had hoped to keep the service's doors open, even if only for a few weeks through the Christmas and New Year period when domestic violence can spike by up to 30 per cent.
$3.1 million on table
The issue became a political football between the state government and the City of Perth, which ultimately failed to be resolved.
Homelessness Minister John Carey had pledged $3.1 million to keep the service open for another two years if the City provided the building.
But Mr Zemplilas said that offer came too late, and only after he had committed to giving the building back to the community.
Former Fremantle mayor-turned Greens MP Brad Pettitt said both sides had to accept responsibility for the service closing.
"Frankly, the state government shouldn't be depending upon local governments and not-for-profits to run a service like this," he said.
"But also, the City of Perth should know that in the middle of a housing crisis, now is not the right time to shut down a facility like this.
"What I say to the City of Perth is right now, we just need to extend this, even if it's just for weeks or months, whilst the state government actually looks at alternative options, and there are a range of alternative options that I'm hoping they can consider."
Dr Pettitt said that included empty buildings across the CBD or moving the service to another area.
Mayor not budging
Mr Zempilas has repeatedly denied interview requests from the ABC.
However, his media team referred to comments he made about the safe space closure at its November council meeting and at a recent media conference about assisting those impacted by last week's Wanneroo bushfires.
At the council meeting, the Lord Mayor read aloud an email from an East Perth resident, in which they said the service's presence had scared her away from taking her grandchildren to a nearby playground.
The resident later told the ABC she had found needles and alcohol bottles near the playground and claimed "much of the neighbourhood" had been "intimidated" by the service's presence.
Mr Zempilas also said returning the Rod Evans Centre to community use was one of his commitments at the recent council election.
"It was in my literature, it was well known. I spoke about it when I doorknocked, and was with community groups, and it was an issue that was raised continually, in particular in the East Perth area," he said.
Labor blasts Basil Zempilas
Premier Roger Cook said while he respected the council's long-term plans for the space, the needs of women using the service should be the short-term priority.
"Those women will have to fend for themselves on the streets of Perth [tomorrow night], and that is down to the decision by the City of Perth, and it's entirely regrettable and entirely avoidable," he said on Wednesday.
At a media conference on Thursday, the premier also took aim at Mr Zempilas attending an overseas conference on the day the service closed.
"He's in Cape Town today with the governor of Nairobi and the deputy mayor of Los Angeles," he said.
"It's the very thing he critiqued the prime minister for just a fortnight ago, when the prime minister went to an APEC summit.
"So he's now at a water conference in Cape Town when there's going to be 30 women on the streets tonight because of his decision."
The government has repeatedly suggested the City of Perth's actions are at odds with its 16 Days campaign to end domestic violence, which started on Saturday.
The Minister for Women's Interests, Sue Ellery, went further in state parliament on Thursday in criticising the Lord Mayor.
"I think that [to close the service] in the middle of the 16 Days campaign ... is appalling," she said.
"And [it's] one of either the most stupid or the most lacking in value political judgements that I have seen, and I've seen a few stupid political operators and I've seen a few political operators with no values.
"But this is a person, if you read the subtext, he wants to be in this building. If that is what he stands for, well, that's a sad reflection."
The subtext Ms Ellery referred to is a rumour which has been swirling for years that Mr Zempilas is considering a jump to state politics at the next election, potentially to take over leadership of the Liberal Party.
Mr Zempilas has long rubbished those rumours, insisting his focus is on serving as the Lord Mayor.
In a statement issued on Thursday, he said the Safe Night Space had been extended beyond its initial two-year trial to allow for other homelessness services to come online, and accused the premier of "undermining our collective efforts to transition vulnerable women to other available services".
"The Department of Communities is in contact with all of the women, including [providing] access to case workers," he said.
"Throughout the year the City has proposed other properties within the state government portfolio or other vacant private properties that could accommodate a similar service.
"We are now 12 months on from when the state were made aware of the service's closure. The Department, Ruah and the City have been actively working on this transition."
However, the Department of Communities said it was seeking a retraction of some comments made by the Lord Mayor because they were "factually incorrect".
A spokesperson said the department had not been contacted by the City of Perth to specifically discuss the transition of the service, or women using it.
"Communities is not in contact with all of the women who were clients of the Safe Night Space," the spokesperson said.
"The Department does not have the contact information for all clients of the Safe Night Space service as the contract for this service is between the City of Perth and Ruah and client confidentiality applies."
The spokesperson said Ruah had advised the Department that women were accessing other homelessness services and would be case-managed through the Rough Sleeper Coordination Group as appropriate.
Dozens protest closure
An online petition looking to save the centre has attracted more than 22,000 signatures.
It was followed by a snap protest attended by dozens of people outside Perth's Council House last night to express anger about the closure of the service.
Among them was Royal Perth Hospital nurse unit manager Simon Cavoli, who said news of the closure was distressing.
"Not only as clinicians but as humans of the city to have a vulnerable group of people who had a safe place to sleep being impacted," he said.
"We have a very strong relationship with the Ruah service within the emergency department and the service they provide linking vulnerable people into services in the community is essential for us.
"Providing them a safe place to stay is a fantastic option rather than leaving them potentially in an emergency department that is already overcrowded, overstimulated and overburdened as well.
"Anyone on the streets are likely to be more vulnerable to, and be victims of violence, and abuse, purely because of the nature of the streets.
"We encourage the councillors to recognise the importance of this service and the opportunity that exists given that there is a funding source."