HOUSING Housing Australia has funded its first temporary accommodation project, partnering with Bridge Housing Limited (BHL) to acquire an existing boarding house, which will be converted into temporary accommodation comprising 23-rooms.
The project will help address an urgent need for short-term accommodation, with homelessness increasing by almost 26% compared to last year across NSW, according to the NSW Government Communities and Justice.
The short-term accommodation will be available in coming weeks, with BHL appointing Mission Australia to operate the new temporary accommodation.
Housing Australia provided a $5.3 million loan from the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator to support the acquisition of the boarding house, with further ongoing funding from Homes NSW.
“This is an incredible milestone for Housing Australia, and an opportunity to ensure people facing a crisis have access to safe and secure accommodation,” said Housing Australia CEO, Scott Langford.
“This won’t be the last, with plans to fund more temporary accommodation projects through the National Housing Infrastructure Facility”
Bridge Housing CEO, Laurie Leigh said, “There are people in crisis without a bed to sleep in tonight. This funding answers the need for immediate temporary accommodation that is safe and dignified, with the added benefit of onsite social support provided by Mission Australia.
“A place for people to reset and work through next steps in their journey to more stable and secure housing.”
The 2021 Census showed there are around 122,500 people experiencing homelessness in Australia on any given night.
Australia’s peak community housing provider organisation, PowerHousing Australia, recently unveiled its ambitious target of making one in every 10 homes social or affordable within 20 years, and believes the sector is up for the fight.
Homes NSW CEO, Rebecca Pinkstone said, “This project clearly demonstrates what can be achieved when we work in partnership to boost housing for our community.
“These homes will provide a pathway out of homelessness and housing insecurity and a foundation for a better life.
“Homes NSW is proud to be able to provide funding alongside contributions from Housing Australia and Bridge Housing to acquire the boarding house, which may have been lost to redevelopment.
“This site will now be permanently transformed into safe and secure accommodation for people in housing need.”
Speaking to Australian Property Journal this week about housing supply and the social and affordable housing sectors, Robert Pradolin, co-founder and director of Housing All Australians, said the country needs a “pressure relief valve while we build the housing our country needs”.
“Things like the utilisation of empty bedrooms.
“There’s so many empty buildings out there that could be used for short-term transitional housing across the country. They’ve already been built. There’s no cost issue.
“Let’s use our existing infrastructure as a pressure relief valve to put a downward pressure on pricing so that vulnerable people can have a place to sleep,” he said.
