East Perth 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.

East Perth Common Ground delivers 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 East Perth Common Ground site, and to ensure that it meets the needs of its tenants. This includes the incorporation of trauma-informed design, ‘Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design’, and improved accessibility through Livable Housing design standards.

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

In the 2016 State Census, East Perth recorded the highest number of people sleeping rough within the state.

The site on the corner of Hill and Wellington streets was chosen based on evidence from other successful Common Ground projects across Australia, which indicates that suitable sites should be close to public transport, local amenities and a range of public services including primary health care. This is to help tenants access a range of services available to them, in addition to services delivered on site.

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 are trained in how to manage serious incident scenarios and emergency services will be called to attend in such cases.

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, and long-term support, including for alcohol or other drug dependencies.

East Perth Common Ground is not crisis accommodation or temporary housing. It will provide permanent supportive housing to tenants for the duration of their need. This includes people who choose Common Ground to age in place.

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

If you need information or have an enquiry about someone experiencing rough sleeping, please contact commongroundeastperth@missionaustralia.com.au

For all other tenancy enquiries, please reach out to cgephousing@missionaustralia.com.au