- Cook Labor Government appoints St. Vincent de
Paul Society WA Inc (Vinnies WA) to manage a new supported accommodation
service in West Perth - New service will support people sleeping rough
or experiencing chronic homelessness in the metropolitan area - Located at former Murray Hotel in Murray Street
- New service will provide 30
rooms
The Cook
Labor Government has today announced St. Vincent de Paul WA Society Inc
(Vinnies WA) will manage a new supported accommodation service for people
sleeping rough and experiencing homelessness in the Perth metropolitan area.
Over
the past five months, the former Murray Hotel has undergone major refurbishments
and compliance works, including removal of a swimming pool, and works are
nearing completion. The works have been undertaken by Kardan Construction, a
Supply Nation certified Aboriginal business.
The service
will be housed within the former Murray Hotel at 718 Murray Street, West Perth.
The 1,293 square metre inside lot was purchased by the Department of
Communities (Communities) for $5.15 million in January this year.
The
new service will provide 30 rooms – 25 for singles and five for couples – that
feature individual ensuite bathrooms, as part of a Housing First supported
accommodation model. The facility also includes an onsite kitchen, shared
laundry room, and internal and external common areas.
To
meet the complex needs of vulnerable people, and to ensure the safety and
wellbeing of staff and residents, the intake of all residents will be managed
through a coordination group led by Communities in partnership with the WA
Alliance to End Homelessness.
The
service will also be supported by existing Housing First service providers to
provide case management and support to individuals.
The
service will complement current accommodation options in the Perth CBD for
people who are rough sleeping including Boorloo Bidee Mia in Wellington Street
and Koort Boodja in Northbridge.
Boorloo
Bidee Mia opened in 2021 and now operates at 92 per cent occupancy, providing
intensive wrap-around supports to some of the most vulnerable community
members, as they transition out of homelessness into stable, long-term
accommodation.
The
acquisition of the Murray Street site is another major boost to the State
Government’s homelessness reforms and supports the $24.2 million Supportive Landlord
package, which includes $20.7 million to provide 100 homes for people sleeping
rough.
The
new investment is guided by the All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s
10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020-2030 and reconfirms the State
Government’s commitment to reducing the number of people experiencing
homelessness.
The State Government is investing a record
$2.6 billion in housing and homelessness measures over four years. This
includes $225 million in funding to address homelessness this financial year
alone, which includes funding 130 providers to deliver critical homelessness
services across WA.
Vinnies
WA will now undertake its recruitment to operate the facility and work with
Communities towards opening the service as soon as practicable.
Comments
attributed to Homelessness Minister John Carey:
“We
know that providing accommodation or a home to the most vulnerable members of
our community is life changing.
“This
is why our Government is focused on delivering a Housing First approach that is
evidence-based and provides tangible long-term outcomes to assist those who may
be sleeping rough.
“We’re
using every lever we can to boost social housing and deliver upon a range of
key reforms to assist rough sleepers – including through this new supported
accommodation service in West Perth.
“St
Vincent de Paul will now run the facility, which has been transformed into a
low barrier, supported accommodation for people sleeping rough. St Vincent de
Paul WA is an inspirational organisation that has provided valuable community
services in Western Australia since 1865.
“Vinnies
has proven success in operating low threshold services like Tom Fisher House in
Perth, which is an intensive intervention night service for people experiencing
long term homelessness with complex needs.
“We
have a clear focus to assist people sleeping rough and give them access to
appropriate accommodation and intensive wrap-around supports to enable them to
transition into long-term housing options.
“It’s
acknowledged a number of our significant investments in homelessness –
including Boorloo Bidee Mia,
which is a low barrier facility that takes in some of the complex and
vulnerable individuals of the State – have made a significant difference in the
health outcomes and lives of individuals experiencing homelessness.
“As
part of our homelessness reforms, establishment of a single rough sleeping
coordination group has been finalised at key locations – including Fremantle,
Perth CBD, Geraldton, Bunbury, and Mandurah.”