Mandurah Common Ground

The State Government is committed to increasing housing options for people experiencing ongoing homelessness through All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s 10 Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020–2030 All Paths Lead to a Home: Western Australia’s 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness 2020–2030.

Mandurah Common Ground will deliver permanent, supportive housing for the duration of need for adults who are experiencing ongoing homelessness, rough sleeping and/or are earning a low income.

Input was sought through a range of engagement activities with local communities and key stakeholders to inform the design of the Mandurah Common Ground site, and to ensure that it will meet the needs of its tenants. This includes the incorporation of trauma-informed design, ‘Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design’, and improved accessibility through Liveable Housing design standards.

Workshops and interviews were undertaken with people experiencing homelessness, community housing and services organisations, ACCOs and other representatives from other Common Ground sites operating across the country.

This location was selected following extensive research showing the area to have a high number of people who are sleeping rough.

Additionally, the site was chosen based on evidence from other successful Common Ground projects across Australia, which indicated the importance of locating Common Grounds in proximity to public transport, local amenities and a range of public services including primary health care. This is to assist tenants with ease of access to a range of services available to them, in addition to services delivered on site.

Mandurah Common Ground will have a contemporary, sustainable design, complementary to its surroundings. It will:

• comprise self-contained apartments, commercial spaces and shared functions for on-site support services
• create a sense of connection and wellbeing though its indoor and outdoor communal spaces
• be accessible for people with disabilities and for people to age in place
• recognise the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community through culturally responsive design

Yes, research from other Common Ground projects operating in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide shows that the 24/7 front desk presence, together with on-site support services, provides a safe environment for tenants, visitors and the surrounding community.

Evidence suggests that serious incidents at Common Grounds across Australia are rare. Staff will be trained in how to manage serious incident scenarios and emergency services will be called to attend, should any serious incidents occur.

The Department of Communities awarded the construction contract to Atlas Building Pty Ltd in October 2024. Construction commenced late 2024. This function has now moved to the new Department of Housing and Works.

Mandurah Common Ground is expected to open to tenants in late 2026.

The Housing First approach at the core of the Common Ground model seeks to reduce the barriers to entry seen in traditional housing models. In this way, tenants’ circumstances, including income, employment, health or history, have little to no impact on their entry to Common Ground.

Once housed, tenants of Common Ground, will be able to access a range of support services to sustain their tenancy and improve their wellbeing, including supports for employment, workforce training, education, or support to address long-term issues, such as alcohol and other drug addiction services.

Tenants, including their families and visitors, will also have direct access to places of reflection, play spaces for them and their children, and barbeque and picnic facilities.

Mandurah Common Ground is not crisis accommodation or temporary housing. It provides permanent supportive housing to people experiencing ongoing homelessness, rough sleeping and/or are earning a low income, for the duration of their need. This includes people who choose Common Ground to age in place, giving older people the support they need to live safely, independently, and comfortably, in the place they want, for as long as possible.

The Department of Housing and Works is working closely with the City of Mandurah, local residents, business owners and service providers to ensure the Common Ground will become an integral part of the community.

Once construction is complete, Mandurah Common Ground will be managed by a Community Housing Organisation, responsible for property and tenancy management, including receiving and reviewing applications for tenancy. This process to identify this organisation is underway.