The City of Fremantle has welcomed the announcement of $2.2 million in Lotterywest funding for the innovative 'My Home' project in North Fremantle.
The project, a partnership between St Patrick's Community Support Centre and My Home Australasia, involves the construction of 18 self-contained single bedroom units on Congdon Street in North Fremantle on vacant land that is currently part of a railway reserve.
The units will provide housing for women over 55 who are experiencing homelessness.
St Patrick's will allocate the dwellings to clients, and facilitate the tenants' access to support services to help them sustain their tenancies and live as independently as possible in the community.
The North Fremantle site is owned by the Public Transport Authority and St Patrick's will have a peppercorn lease with the Department of Communities.
Minderoo Foundation is also providing funding for the project, while Rotary WA will assist with the establishment of the gardens and supporting the tenants to furnish their units.
Fremantle Deputy Mayor Andrew Sullivan said the funding announcement was great news.
"The City of Fremantle has been very supportive of the My Home project," Cr Sullivan said.
"It's a really innovative idea to take advantage of surplus state government land to provide housing to people who really need it.
"It's an unfortunate reality that women in the over 55 age group who may have spent many years raising children are less likely to have accumulated enough savings to support themselves, and then the death of a spouse or some other shock ends up leaving them homeless.
"Fremantle Council's Planning Committee gave the green light to the My Home proposal back in March last year, and we've also waived planning application fees and building license fees for the project.
"This is a great example of multiple agencies, including the Western Australian Planning Commission, Department of Transport and City of Fremantle, working together to remove any barriers to the project.
"It's terrific that the support from Lotterywest and the Minderoo Foundation means this development in North Fremantle can now go ahead, and we hope it will be the first of many similar projects."
