Secure Housing Project

For Affordable Housing & Homelessness

Summary

The proposed Peel Secure Housing and Employment Support Project – Mandurah Hub is designed to provide supported transitional accommodation to cohorts of 30 young people and 30 families with children, who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness.

The facility would notably provide support to assist the households to gain educational and/or training skills to yield employment outcomes for participants of the project. The Project aims to assist 900 young people and families and 750 children and result in cost savings to government of approximately $76.1 million over a 30-year period.  The total cost of the project build and first four years of service costs is $25.2m of which $22.65m is being sought from Royalties for Regions funding.

This is a proposed project which is subject to approvals by a range of stakeholders including for funding from Royalties for Regions.  It is anticipated that the outcomes of the approval process will be known towards the middle of 2017.

What is the proposed Mandurah Hub?

The proposed Mandurah Hub will deliver two co-located buildings in the Mandurah Inner City Precinct incorporating:

• Youth accommodation facility – a dedicated youth accommodation, training pathway and support complex offering 30 studio units.
• Family accommodation facility – a dedicated family accommodation and support complex (for singles or couples with one or more children) that offers 30 two and three bedroom apartments.
• The buildings will include commercial office space for rent by social enterprises, not-for-profits and other entities which are compatible with the intent of the facility. This will assist with provision of support and employment opportunities for young people and families living in the complex.  

Why is the proposed Mandurah Hub important?

Homelessness is a growing issue in the Peel with the number of homeless people in the region more than doubling between 2006 and 2011.  Integrating housing with employment and educational opportunities is essential to addressing homelessness, breaking the cycle of homelessness, and supporting vulnerable families and young people to fully participate in the growth and productivity of the region.  

How will participants be supported?

The supported transitional accommodation aspect of the model will be based on the international Foyer model. This model is traditionally a supported accommodation complex offering participants (usually young people) a subsidised rental placement with access to intensive support services for a set period.

Support services assist participants to address underlying social, job training and employment issues. A requirement of the model is for participants to engage in study and/or employment and agreed remedial services, assist them to transition to mainstream employment and housing opportunities, and hence independence.

Foyers are an aspirational model which aim to assist residents to develop the experience and skills they need to lead fulfilling, independent and productive lives.  This is achieved by providing the time, attention, mentoring, coaching and access to opportunities required to access education and training pathways to employment and independent living. It also includes life skills, financial counselling, and domestic violence prevention.  

The Project for Peel expands upon the model offered by other Foyers throughout Australia, to include both young people and adult families, a centralised hub with future provisions for scattered accommodation, and coordinated service delivery through a web of existing service providers.

Who is responsible?

The project was initiated by the Peel Homelessness Network and Peel Community Development Group (PCDG) in 2014 with Peel Development Commission advocating for the project since 2015. The Commission facilitated the development of the Peel Secure Housing and Employment Support Strategy and has prepared the business case in collaboration with PCDG, an advisory committee of local stakeholders and the community through a number of workshops.

The proposed project proponent going forward is UnitingCare West who have committed to consulting with local organisations in the design and delivery of the project moving forward.

When is it expected to happen?

A business case for Royalties for Regions funding has been prepared with an anticipated outcome towards the end of 2017.  The project timeline from the point of funding approval is outlined below.

What are the anticipated outcomes?

Through the establishment of the Project, the following outcomes are expected to be achieved:

• Young people and families experiencing or at-risk of homelessness can access secure accommodation
• Young people and families are engaged in education, training and employment leading to improved social and economic outcomes for the region
• Social enterprises will be developed or sought, through collaborative processes and links with local networks and Social Ventures Australia, to deliver training, work experience, employment and business opportunities for participants of the Project
• A successful model which breaks the intergenerational cycle of homelessness will produce long–term benefits for the children of participants
• Employment opportunities are created through construction and program delivery.

Benefits of the Project as outlined in Pathways from Homelessness:  Peel Secure Housing and Employment Support Strategy: An Economic Assessment include the following present value benefits. These are calculated for fifteen cohorts entering the service for a 2-year period, over a 30-year term at 50% of the upper limit of savings:

•    Health cost savings of $46.5 million

•    Justice cost savings of $19.3 million

•    Taxation revenue and income support savings of $40.8 million

•    Homelessness service savings of $15.5 million

•    Child protection savings of $7.5 million

An additional economic assessment of the build process undertaken found that the scale of the build process would result in an additional 60 local jobs and $27.7 million in regional output.