Project Zero and The By-Name List
The Zero Project and the By Name List (funded by the State Government) is a housing first coordination for WA which aims to collaboratively reduce and ultimately end rough sleeping as well as chronic homelessness.
The Zero Project applies their census strategy to reduce risk for all community members. Using an advanced zero methodology it counts the number of people experiencing homelessness, not the number of housing provided.
They found that this was this best way to deliver real-time data found here; and service coordination to reach a ‘functional zero’.
Functional Zero can only be achieved when there are enough services, houses and crisis beds for everyone who needs them. The Zero Project also manages the By Name List, which is a key tool for collaboratively allocating housing and support resources. Led by drive evidence-based improvements, we are able to help reduce rough sleeping and chronic homelessness.
By Name List: Key Steps

This has been an integral component for mapping out gaps in socio-economic structures and the Ruah Community Services has played a key role in providing support for the Zero Project.
The By-Name List tool enables organisations from across different sector to track and quantify homelessness. Meaning that, local communities can draw a real-time picture of how productive their services are.
It must be noted that data provided by this Project is only for indicative information on rough sleeping and chronic homelessness. It should not be treated as definitive ‘numbers’.
Although it captures at least 90 percent of rough sleepers from the outreach work carried out by partnered funded homelessness agencies. Data will vary from day to day because the By Name List is a ‘live’ database, and users are constantly updating it.
Please Note that: individuals cannot refer themselves to the Zero Project. If you think you may be eligible, speak to your support worker or drop in to the Ruah Centre. If you are from a community services organisation and would like more information about Zero Project or the By Name List, you can email; dl-zeroproject@ruah.org.au.
Active Rough Sleeper Count: Fremantle, Perth and Surrounding Regions
The below graph highlights the patterns of rough sleeping from September 2021- February 2022. City of Fremantle, Perth and it's surrounding regions are continuously working to reduce social impacts and limitations on vulnerable communities. The goal is to create equal opportunities for all members of our community.
February 2022: Perth, Fremantle and Surrounding Regions
The below table shows the data gathered through the By-Name List which can be found here.
Inflow | Total Number of People Homeless (1014) | Outflow |
67 newly identified | 499 sleeping rough | 9 housing placements |
47 return from inactive | 515 other homeless | 114 inactive |
6 returning from housing |
From the above, we understand that data from February 2022 involves 40 percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders along with 120 young people sleeping rough and homeless as well as 2 acknowledgement of deaths.