Mandurah will become home to WA’s second Common Ground housing facility, the State Government recently announced.
Mayor Rhys Williams has welcomed the news (announced late last year) saying: “I’d like to thank Premier Mark McGowan, Member for Mandurah David Templeman MLA and Minister for Community Services Hon Simone McGurk MLA for the announcement, confirming Mandurah’s Common Ground facility".
“This is a huge and positive step in changing the lives of people experiencing homelessness in our community, and will really help people get back on their feet," Mayor Williams said.
“Mandurah has an unacceptable number of residents living without a permanent roof over their head. Despite having some of the best services in Western Australia, you just can’t escape the
fact that the only way to properly help a homeless person change the direction of their life is through permanent housing and ongoing, tailored support.
“That is why we’ve been so vocal about securing a more holistic solution to this challenge, and inevitably changing Mandurah’s story.
“A recent count of rough sleepers in Mandurah revealed that 53 people were sleeping rough, and we want to do all that we can to improve this statistic.
“The Common Ground model is the permanent housing solution with the wrap-around support we need to properly assist in helping local people living on the streets redefine their lives, and address
other key challenges that exist when there are high rates of homelessness in a community.
“This new facility will sit alongside our new assertive outreach service, which will start in the new year in partnership with WA Police, and the work our team have been doing in ensuring collaboration between the many agencies and support services working in the homelessness sector.
“Part of redefining Mandurah’s ambition for its future is being bold in tackling the complexity around this issue. I’m really proud of the work our community is doing in helping those less fortunate, and I feel confident about the direction we’re heading in addressing these challenges.”
