The system as it stands reinforces a cycle of exclusion, with the barriers to stability forming a closed loop — people cannot stabilise because they cannot access systems, and they cannot access systems because they are not stabilised.
The Essential Access Plan
To address these disparities, we propose the establishment of an ‘Essential Access Program’ (EAP) designed to support individuals during times of crisis. The EAP acts as a pathway toward long-term stability and seeks to remove prevalent access barriers and restore civic participation. This plan takes a holistic approach, bridging the gap between immediate needs and access by combining civic, social, and digital systems designed to operate across sectors and portfolios.
Access Infrastructure Framework
As part of this plan, we propose the establishment of the following essential support systems:
- A secure postal address, through a ‘Secure Postal Address’ program (SPA)
- A secure place to store belongings, through a Temporary Storage Locker (TSL) system
- And a supported employment pathway, through an ‘Employment Pathways’ scheme (EP)
These support systems form the foundation for survival, acting as a vital safety net ensuring those in crisis can navigate hardships with both stability and dignity.
Removing Cost at the Point of Crisis
Further to this, the EAP is designed to remove cost-based barriers, providing registered individuals with fee waivers and practical access to essential services during periods of acute instability.
This includes free or subsidised transport to critical appointments (such as Centrelink, healthcare, and housing services), waived fees for the replacement or issuance of identification documents, and relief from administrative costs that otherwise prevent engagement with support systems.
By eliminating upfront costs at key transition points, the EAP enables individuals to act immediately — not when funds become available, but when support is most urgently needed. In doing so, it transforms access from a conditional privilege into a stabilising right, accelerating pathways toward safety, independence and ultimately stability.
Restoring access through iLocal®
LinkedUp is developing iLocal® — a public digital kiosk that bridges the gap between immediate user needs and real-time access, providing free, real-time access to essential services that are within walking proximity, 24/7, helping individuals navigate their immediate environment.
For those experiencing homelessness, this will include access to immediate, practical needs, including but not limited to, temporary and crisis accommodation options (through the ‘Find My Way’ portal), free meals and amenities, subsidised transport, emergency and medical services, etc.
Our focus here is on access, we aim to make it easier for people to locate and use services that already exist — in real-time and within walking distance — by meeting them where they are at, on the street, and giving them a better chance of getting back on their feet.
in the meantime...
We have launched the iLocal® print edition — a free, physically distributed publication designed for people who are experiencing homelessness and who may not have reliable access to phones, data, or digital literacy.
To learn more about the iLocal® print edition please click here.
A Critical Intervention Point: Prison Release
One particularly critical intervention point is upon prison release.
A significant number of individuals are released from custody without secure accommodation, income, transport, or immediate access to services — despite having served their sentence. In many cases, individuals are returned personal belongings such as mobile phones after months or years in custody, but without phone credit, data, or funds.
With no place to go, no money until Centrelink is reinstated, and no means of transport, people are effectively released into homelessness by default.
Reframing Prison Release
Establishing support structures such as the SPA program, TSL system, and supported EP, prior to or immediately upon release would dramatically reduce the likelihood of re-offending and service disengagement. Further to this, the placement of iLocal® kiosks within prison reception or release areas represents a practical, high-impact intervention.
Upon release, individuals could secure a postal address, book a storage locker, access employment pathways, locate accommodation options, as well as access daily meals and support services.
This reframes release as a supported transition, rather than a point of failure — setting individuals up for stability and reintegration rather than crisis and recidivism.
The EAP represents a low-complexity, high-impact intervention that works to improve Western Australia’s alignment with its human rights obligations while also reducing downstream pressure on emergency services, frontline workers, and public systems. Further to this, the EAP acts as a support system designed to stand ready if ever circumstances lead people into crisis again.
The aim of the EAP is to restore the rights and dignity of homeless individuals, in the hope of building stronger pathways toward stability, and therefore independence — and most importantly, the EAP works to ensure that individuals aren’t left to navigate crisis alone.
To learn about how we’re making an impact RIGHT NOW click here.
We’re working magic behind the scenes so stay tuned
— because this is just the beginning.
