The Minister for Housing and Homelessness has unveiled a new pilot program in Geraldton to provide housing and wrap-around supports for approved tenants.
The Minister, John Carey also took the chance to officially open six refurbished social housing dwellings in the city.
“Ten people have signed up to the pilot program and will move into the units tomorrow, (i.e. yesterday 12 May) including a number of people who have been sleeping rough at the Batavia Motor Inne.
Mr Carey said about $400,000 had been allocated for the required refurbishment works which have significantly improved the quality of the units and extended their useful life.
“There is a significant amount of work happening in Geraldton to help boost the availability of social housing, and while there are no quick fixes, we are starting to see the impacts of our major investments,” Mr Carey said.
“These six units will provide a critical boost to social housing numbers, and will form part of a new pilot program that combines housing with wrap-around tenancy supports.”
He said the evidence was quite clear: “To break the cycle of homelessness we need to be combining both housing and wrap-around supports and this is exactly what this new program is focused on doing”.
“All 10 of the new tenants moving into the complex have agreed to the terms of the program and critically, a number of them had been previously rough sleeping.
“With the significant investments we are making, we expect to see a real boost in the amount of social housing stock available in Geraldton in the next six months, which will provide more opportunity to house vulnerable members of the community, including rough sleepers.”
Mr Carey said that as part of current investments, 16 new social homes had been added in the Mid-West/Gascoyne in March this year with a further 19 either under construction or contracted for delivery in the region,
“With the significant investments we are making, we expect to see a real boost in the amount of social housing stock available in Geraldton in the next six months,” the Minister said, “which will provide more opportunity to house vulnerable members of the community, including rough sleepers.”
