- Safe Night Space to provide short-term overnight shelter and case management services for people sleeping rough in Rockingham area
- Local service provider The Crew to open seven-day-a-week operation to offer temporary shelter for up to 30 people a night
- Cook Labor Government investing in a more inclusive community with housing-led, person-centred responses to homelessness throughout Western Australia
The Cook Labor Government has announced a new Safe Night Space in Rockingham, delivering a practical, safe, and supportive response to rough sleeping in Perth's southern suburbs.
Working alongside local service provider The Crew and the City of Rockingham, the Cook Labor Government will invest $2.6 million to get the Safe Night Space running as quickly as possible, backed by The Crew's extensive experience and strong local presence.
The Safe Night Space will offer people experiencing homelessness in the Rockingham area safe overnight shelter as well as daytime case management services, helping them to identify and transition into stable accommodation while improving outcomes across the local community.
It will operate using a low-barrier, trauma-informed approach designed to engage people who may be unable to access or sustain traditional accommodation options.
The Safe Night Space will provide:
- temporary shelter for up to 30 people each night;
- shower and laundry facilities;
- morning and evening meals; and
- dedicated case management workers who can connect people to supports for health, mental health, alcohol and other drug use, and housing.
It will complement existing responses in Rockingham and will operate in close partnership with local providers, including St Pat's, Centrecare, i24s Aboriginal Corporation, and Homeless Healthcare.
Services will also work alongside WA Police, the City of Rockingham, and the Department of Communities.
The Crew already operates homeless support services from its existing premises in a light industrial area in Rockingham, and the Safe Night Space is an expansion of the services already offered.
Operations will be phased in once relevant approvals are received from the City of Rockingham.
The Cook Labor Government continues to invest in the community services sector to ensure people experiencing or at risk of homelessness receive sustainable supports that centre around a person's needs.
Recent commitments in Perth's southern corridor include the 50-unit Mandurah Common Ground, which is under construction and due for practical completion by the end of the year, as well as St Pat's expanded outreach services.
As stated by Homelessness Minister Matthew Swinbourn:
"The Cook Labor Government is committed to practical, housing-focused responses that help people move from rough sleeping into stable accommodation, as set out in our 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness.
"Once established, the Rockingham Safe Night Space will provide immediate safety and shelter for people sleeping rough, while dedicated case management services will help individuals address barriers to housing and build pathways to long-term stability.
"The Crew has extensive experience supporting vulnerable people in the Rockingham community, and I am pleased to see them delivering this important service."
Comments attributed The Crew Rockingham chief operating officer Kendall Sowerby:
"We've been on the ground in our community for more than 10 years, walking alongside people doing it tough and making sure they have somewhere to turn.
"We provide hot meals, food hampers, clothing, showers, laundry, a safe place to connect, and our mobile meals service, but people are at the heart of what we do. We meet people where they're at and help them take the next step.
"We're really proud to partner with the Cook Labor Government to build on what's already happening at The Crew and expand our service so we can reach more people, provide more support, and make an even bigger difference in our community."
As stated by Rockingham MLA Magenta Marshall:
"This is welcome news for Rockingham. I am pleased the Cook Labor Government is providing a trauma-informed, practical response to homelessness in the area.
"Rockingham is growing rapidly and it is important that we can help people who are experiencing homelessness with a safe, supportive, and empathetic service.
"The Crew do a fantastic job and are greatly respected in the Rockingham area so it is wonderful to hear that they will be expanding their services to include daytime case management and a safe night space."
