- St Patrick's Fremantle receives $7.5 million from the Cook Government
- Funding to expand existing facility to include 28 new social housing dwellings
- Investment will add new dwellings to WA's social housing stock
- New dwellings support vulnerable people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness
The Cook Government is providing $7.5 million to one of Western Australia's longest-serving homelessness support services, St Patrick's Fremantle, to bolster the State's social housing stock.
The $7.5 million commitment is part of a $12 million St Pat's project to demolish the site's existing, ageing and no longer fit-for-purpose accommodation units and replace these with 28 newly built social housing dwellings.
The 28 new social housing dwellings will provide long-term accommodation for people who are experiencing homelessness, aligning with the State Government's Homelessness strategy and Housing First Approach.
St Pat's is a not-for-profit organisation that has been providing community housing and specialist support services for people facing homelessness in the south metropolitan region of Perth for more than 50 years.
As part of the Cook Government's Call for Submissions for Social Housing, a procurement reform introduced by Housing and Homelessness Minister John Carey, St Pat's approached the Department of Communities seeking to turn their existing accommodation into social housing.
The State Government, through the Department of Communities opened a call for submissions from registered community housing providers to help increase the supply and diversity of social housing across WA.
The 'Call for Submissions from Community Housing Providers' provides a framework for the State Government to work with registered community housing providers to refurbish or deliver new housing options managed by the sector for vulnerable people, including through grant funding, land leases, land contributions and other innovative models.
Development Approval has been granted for the proposed project, with St Pat's planning to engage a builder mid-2024.
