The state government has awarded a contract to ADCO Constructions and appointed St Vincent de Paul to manage a new accommodation service, as two new initiatives to tackle homelessness in WA.
The state government has awarded a contract to ADCO Constructions and appointed St Vincent de Paul to manage a new accommodation service, as two new initiatives to tackle homelessness in Western Australia.
The $70 million building contract is for the East Perth Common Ground project, a jointly funded state and federal government initiative to provide social housing and support services to vulnerable people.
The project will deliver 112 self-contained apartments in East Perth for those experiencing homelessness or living on a low income.
In 2022, ADCO was booked as a social housing contractor last year to construct a $29 million seven-story centre for women and children in Northbridge.
Housing and Homelessness Minister John Carey said ADCO’s track record of building public infrastructure placed the company in a good position to deliver this project.
This contract falls under the state government’s $2.6 billion investment in housing and homelessness to deliver 4,000 homes over four years.
Also guided by this investment initiative, St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies) was today appointed by the state government to manage a new 30-room accommodation service housed at the former Murray Hotel.
Purchased for $5.15 million by the Department of Communities earlier this year, the facility has undergone recent refurbishments by Indigenous contractor Kardan Construction to meet compliance standards.
The facility will complement current accommodation services in Perth’s metropolitan area. This includes the 100-bed facility Boorloo Bidee Mia in the CBD, and 30-bed facility Koort Boodja in Northbridge.
Boorloo Bidee Mia opened in 2021 and now operates at a 92 per cent capacity to provide a transitional pathway into long-term accommodation for homeless individuals.
Vinnies WA, one of the top 20 charitable organisations in the state according to Data & Insights, will also operate the new facility as a low-barrier accommodation.
The organisation will undergo a recruitment process to get the facility operational as soon as possible, according to a statement by Mr Carey.
"Vinnies has proven success in operating low threshold services like Tom Fisher House in Perth, which is an intensive intervention night service for people experiencing long term homelessness with complex needs,” Mr Carey said.
