New app key to alleviating homelessness

Find My Way is described as the first jurisdiction-wide app of its kind that is purpose-built to address the complex needs of people without safe housing.

The app is designed to provide an easy-to-use, secure “digital front door” to homelessness services, enabling individuals to find critical services such as crisis accommodation and housing support.

Funded by the Western Australian Department of Communities, the $2.25 million platform was developed by tech-for-social-good organisation Infoxchange, Anglicare WA, digital design agency Anthologie and social change impact consultancy Third Story.

Through a year-long co-design process, the team worked with people with lived experience of homelessness to design a platform they said aims to be intuitive, inclusive and built to meet the real needs of those doing it tough.

Users of the app can:

• browse state and federally funded homelessness services, backed by Infoxchange’s national service directory

• securely manage and share their personal information with service providers.

Eligible homeless service providers can also have greater access to bed availability.

The app has been integrated with the Infoxchange Specialist Homelessness Information Platform (SHIP), a client and case management system used by more than 1,400 homelessness services across Australia.

Infoxchange CEO David Spriggs said as part of the Find My Way project, SHIP was upgraded to deliver real-time data on bed availability, helping caseworkers respond more efficiently to people in crisis.

“This project demonstrates what’s possible when government, community and digital experts work together with people with lived experience to create real change,” said Spriggs.

“We’re proud to be part of a national first – bringing together our Specialist Homelessness Information Platform, our nationwide service directory (Ask Izzy), and this new mobile-first portal into a single, coordinated solution. This is technology for social justice in action.”

Spriggs said data from Infoxchange’s Ask Izzy platform – which recorded more than eight million searches in 2024 – revealed that demand for housing and homelessness services was second only to searches related to food.

Those behind Find My Way said it was a significant leap forward in using digital innovation to combat homelessness, enabling individuals to manage their own information, securely store important documents and, with their consent, share their details with service providers.

They said the new portal not only streamlined support but reduced the burden on those seeking help by removing the need for them to repeatedly explain their circumstances. It also eliminated lengthy administrative processes that can lead to disengagement from community service systems.

Anglicare WA director of innovation and strategy Shamsa Lea said the new app was a gamechanger because users seeking crisis accommodation need only tell their story once.

“People with lived experience told us repeating their story over and over to all the different services can be emotionally exhausting,” said Lea.

“But once you share your information through Find My Way, it's securely stored and shared with the right people, making that process faster and less stressful.”

Anthologie CEO Amy Sutton said innovative and truly human solutions were needed to keep pace with growing rates of homelessness.

“By putting people’s lived experience at the centre, Find My Way is not only technologically innovative, it’s truly inclusive and provides hope in what is often a hopeless situation.”

Find My Way is part of the WA government’s "All Paths Lead to a Home" 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020–2030.

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