Article title card over a blurred night-time Perth skyline. Text reads: Homelessness Week 2023 — Thank You and Recap.

Homelessness Week 2023 Recap

Once again, another Homelessness Week is behind us, and for me this was the biggest Homelessness Week to date.

Firstly, thank you to the City of Subiaco, City of Mandurah, City of Wanneroo and the City of Bayswater for inviting me to come and deliver public events around my homelessness experience. These events were amazing for me, getting to meet so many people and helping them understand the complexities of homelessness is one of the main reasons why I do the work I do. I also had the privilege of meeting many people that have had similar experiences to myself, and I’d like to acknowledge again, their bravery in being able to hold my experiences along side their own.

Five people smiling together for a group photograph in a library, in front of a screen showing the City of Subiaco 'Lasting Effects of Homelessness' title slide.
A meeting room set for a presentation, with a wall-mounted screen showing the 'Lasting Effects of Homelessness' title slide and a City of Mandurah lectern in the foreground.
A projector screen in an empty meeting room showing the City of Wanneroo 'Lasting Effects of Homelessness' title slide, with a chair and side table nearby.
A library presentation space set up with a screen showing the City of Bayswater 'Lasting Effects of Homelessness' slide, a Beneath the Surface pull-up banner, and rows of empty chairs.

Secondly, thank you to Uniting WA and RUAH, for giving me the opportunity to attend the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes event, and deliver one of my Professional Development Workshops.

Matt Vapor in a dark suit and purple tie standing beside a wall-mounted screen displaying the 'Lasting Effects of Homelessness' title slide, with a laptop set up on a bench beside him.
A large group of roughly fifty people posed together on outdoor steps in bright sunshine, many wearing pink shirts and lanyards.

Images courtesy of Uniting WA & RUAH.

On a more personal note, thank you to family and friends who came to my events, not only to support me, but also hearing some difficult things for the first time. This marked a milestone in my own recovery in being able to open up to those that are closest to me, something which I’ve been reserved about in the past.

Although Homelessness Week is an excellent way to highlight issues surround homelessness, it’s important to understand that this doesn’t end when Homelessness Week is over. Homelessness is ever present, and these issues are not going away anytime soon. It’s imperative the awareness about homelessness transcends this week, and continues on throughout the year.

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