HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE & CREATE MORE PATHWAYS FOR WOMEN ON BOARDS IN CONSTRUCTION?

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SETS NEW BENCHMARK FOR WOMEN AT RISK

Some of Western Australia’s most vulnerable women will soon have a new place to call home, with a consortium of charities and private companies donating more than $1 million in goods and services to restore Fremantle’s historic Wyn Carr House.

The first of its kind in Western Australia, the refurbishment and extension of Wyn Carr House, a vacant heritage-listed building, will provide short and medium-term accommodation for women aged 55 and over who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The transformation of Wyn Carr House will provide purposebuilt accommodation for women, combined with wraparound support services, to create a safe and dignified space for women to access the support they need to take the next steps on their journey towards long-term, stable housing.

Wyn Carr House is owned by the Community Housing Provider and Not-For-Profit organisation Uniting WA who operates the successful Homeless Accommodation Support Service (HASS) which currently accommodates 34 people in transitional accommodation across Perth. The HASS program addresses the drivers of each individual’s homelessness to break the cycle. Each person residing at Wyn Carr House will have a person-centred care plan that is trauma-informed and strengths based.

The original heritage-listed Wyn Carr House will be accompanied by a new two-story residential building, with both buildings adjoined by a secure courtyard. The ground floor of the new build will include shared living areas, a communal kitchen and laundry, while 12 ensuite bedrooms will be located on the first floor. The restored Wyn Carr House will also include purpose-built spaces to support residents during their tenancy.

The contemporary design by Cox Architects considers the elements vital to promoting healing, improving physical and mental health, and the overall wellbeing of individuals and their communities. To achieve this, the design delivers safe, private, dignified, accessible spaces which contribute to create a sense of home that will positively impact the lives of those who utilise it, now and into the future.

The development is the first WA project by notfor-profit organisation Housing All Australians (HAA), which has partnered with Uniting WA and more than 20 individuals and private companies (listed below), who are all donating professional services, construction materials and furnishings.

Women in construction supporting women in the community

Uniting WA and HAA have been supported throughout the project by RPS Project Manager Michelle Clarke and Assistant Project Manager Madeleine Sammut, Kirstin Beedie, Sally Ross and Ljubica Petrovic from MinterEllison, Ingrid Maher from Planning Solutions, Nerida Moredoundt and Kyra Lomas from Element WA, Verity Campbell from HAA, Gwen Willox from Arup and Sally Bagley from Marawar, WA’s largest Aboriginal-owned construction business.

Michelle Clarke from RPS said, “The opportunity to use my skills to contribute to a project which will assist and empower vulnerable women in our community to create better lives for themselves is one that I will be forever grateful for. Facilities such as Wyn Carr House provide valuable support for women and offer safe and stable accommodation, allowing these women to shift focus from meeting basic survival needs, to planning for and establishing an independent future for themselves.”

Harnessing the collective power of government, notfor-profits, business and philanthropy

As the wait list for social and affordable housing continues to grow, we need to reimagine the way we approach housing and homelessness. Collaboration across the government, private and not-for-profit sectors is needed