General
For:
All
Thursday, 5 August 2021
As Homelessness Week comes to an end on August 8, it's important to recognise and acknowledge the great work being done by the community services sector in partnership with the City of Mandurah towards addressing homelessness and disadvantage in the community.
Homelessness is a challenge for all of us. It can affect anyone, at any stage in their lives, from any background, and we all have a role to play.
Together with the local services sector, the City is taking meaningful, positive action to help people that are struggling to get back on their feet, and ensure there is a place for everyone.
Homelessness Week is all about raising awareness of the impact of homelessness and the importance of providing solutions that make a difference to our community.
Mandurah's community services sector, alongside the City, has led the way in developing the Mandurah Homelessness and Street Present Strategy, which was launched recently. The Strategy aims to break the cycle of homelessness for up to 80 people currently living rough in Mandurah, and support vulnerable people in the community. The Strategy has input from the lived experiences of local people experiencing homelessness.
Having a sector-led Strategy means the City and partners are well placed to tackle the highly complex issues that homelessness presents.
Further to this, an Assertive Outreach Trial service was recently awarded to St Patrick’s Community Support Centre. St Pat's will operate the trial for two years, working one on one with rough sleepers, street present and people without a home in Mandurah to help break the cycle.
This trial is a positive step forward in achieving a coordinated approach to homelessness and street presence in the community. This united effort will make a real and tangible difference to people experiencing hardships, ensuring Mandurah's most vulnerable people are heard, looked out for, and given the support they need to get back on their feet. The City has worked with the State Government and WA Police to secure the trial, which commenced in Mandurah in early July.
Last week, the Peel Community Kitchen officially opened in its new premises on Tuart Avenue, complete with a fully equipped commercial kitchen providing fresh daily meal options. The Kitchen currently serves more than 200 meals a day from its new location alongside shower facilities and financial support services.
The kitchen has been a community staple in Mandurah since 2009, and the new location makes it easier for people experiencing tough times to access a range of services, and allowed the kitchen to grow with future demand.
Peel Community Kitchen is a non-profit organisation with close to 35 volunteers. Operating from Monday to Friday, the kitchen serves anywhere from 50-80 people per day. The kitchen is ideally located in close proximity to central Mandurah, in a broader precinct that includes access to the Mandurah Train Station, bus and retail nodes and community facilities such as the Mandurah Library and Lottery House. The City of Mandurah committed the project budget of $250,000 from the Restart Mandurah Community COVID Relief Fund.
Mandurah will also become home to WA’s second Common Ground housing facility, and the City is working with the WA Government to deliver it.
It's a complex issue and our sector lead approach with amazing community partners is taking us one step closer to achieve our vision for Mandurah.
