Housing and Homelessness Minister John Carey was in Geraldton today to open six refurbished social housing dwellings, and announce a new pilot program that will provide housing and wrap-around supports for tenants.
Around $400,000 was invested on the refurbishment works which have significantly improved the quality of the units and extended their useful life.
Ten people have signed up to the pilot program, and will move into the units tomorrow, including a number of people who have been sleeping rough at the Batavia Motor Inn.
As part of the program, the refurbished homes and the surrounding complex will be liquor-restricted, with tenants provided intensive wrap-around support services.
The program will be run in partnership between the Department of Communities and ICARE Drug and Alcohol Support Service, who will work with tenants to help them transition to independent living and sustain their tenancies.
The refurbished units and pilot program are part of the significant investments being made by the State Government to boost social housing stock in Geraldton.
As part of current investments, 16 new social homes have been added in the Mid-West/Gascoyne to March of this financial year, with a further 19 either under construction or contracted for delivery in the region.
Major investments are also being made to refurbish existing stock with around 50 homes undergoing or expected to undergo refurbishment in Geraldton, which will significantly expand the number of homes available to vulnerable families and individuals.
The $9 million Spalding renewal project is also progressing with dozens of properties undergoing or expected to undergo major refurbishments, while a number of homes have been demolished to make way for new road connections.
The McGowan Government's $522 million Social Housing Investment Fund will also fund delivery of new housing stock across the State from 2023.
As stated by Housing and Homelessness Minister John Carey:
"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.
"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.
"The evidence is 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 focussed 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."
As stated by Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton:
"Our Government is committed to improving the housing outcomes of people living in Geraldton and the Mid-West and today's announcement shows the positive impact of the efforts we are making.
"Resolving the challenging housing situation we face in Geraldton is going to take some time but today's announcement shows the significant investments we are making are starting to have an impact.
"In the coming months we're expecting to see more refurbishments completed which will provide a critical boost to the availability of social housing for vulnerable people in our community."
