Accordwest is excited to announce its Tiny Houses project was recognised with the ‘Best Regional Project or Initiative Award’ sponsored by Rio Tinto at the 2023 Shelter WA Homelessness & Community Housing Awards held on 19 September 2023 at the WA Museum Boola Bardip. The awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions from organisations and individuals in community housing and homelessness services across Western Australia.
Evan Nunn, Accordwest CEO, was thrilled to receive the honour. “Winning this award is a resounding endorsement of the success of Tiny House’s trial and its’ positive community support,” he said. “It reaffirms Accordwest’s strong leadership in the region, and the significant contribution our Tiny Houses project has made to homeless people and housing solutions in the South West. Its positive impact on tenants and service users is a testament to the hard work and dedication Bunbury’s community has poured into this project.”
Time. Space. Support.
The Tiny Houses initiative launched in May 2021 as a part of the WA Government’s 10-year homelessness strategy. It achieved success through collaboration with local community groups, organisations, and businesses building on vacant land owned by the Salvation Army in Bunbury. The project built three 25-30m² self-contained modular houses, complete with kitchen, bedroom and bathroom facilities – designed to offer a home, relief and hope for people experiencing homelessness.
By providing the foundational security of a home, Tiny Houses gift residents the time and space to get back on their feet. During their stay, they work with a dedicated Support Worker accessing wraparound services, mapping out personal goals and actions as they focus to regain control of their lives. The Tiny Houses program runs within and in-line with all Accordwest homelessness services, with clients either self-referred or referred from other agencies.
Tiny Houses. Huge Impact.
For a relatively small project, Tiny Houses has made an enormous difference to real lives. The project has been praised for addressing the root causes of homelessness (rather than symptoms) by helping take locals off the streets into a place of security where they can start transitioning into more permanent accommodation.
According to the ‘Tiny House Project Evaluation’ – an independent report compiled for Accordwest by Kiah Watson in July 2023 – the project has successfully filled a need for single housing. It notes that by providing wraparound support and access to services from other organisations, residents are better equipped to address barriers to permanent housing such as alcohol and other drugs, mental health, education and family relationships. Accordwest’s own detailed review in June 2023 revealed the positive impact it has had on residents in the current housing crisis. Some stated they now felt secure and safe. Some felt they had peace of mind on a daily basis. And multiple residents spoke about how the project helped them on their journey to “rebuild” their life and themselves.
Powered by people
Tiny Houses was initiated through a 2017 election promise by Don Punch MLA, who helped secure a generous $180,000 grant and led the project throughout the planning stages. Coordinated by the Tiny House Committee and in conjunction with South Bunbury Rotary Club and other Bunbury regional Rotary Clubs, the project inspired a groundswell of in-kind work from local businesses spanning builders to window suppliers, plumbers, flooring specialists and many more (for the full list, click here).
Mr Nunn said the Tiny Houses project is a blueprint for further housing initiatives in the South West. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the local community’s enthusiasm to get involved in our Tiny Houses initiative,” he said. “The heart, generosity and care that has gone into building these homes from the ground up has made our project a true feat of togetherness. Accordwest’s vision is to support more people experiencing hardship and disadvantage to live the life they choose to live. Now that the Tiny Houses concept has been proven successful, we plan to develop more social housing options across the South West so we can continue to provide vital relief and ongoing support to our most vulnerable community members.”
The recent passing of legislation in the Federal Parliament to create the Housing Australia Futures Fund (HAFF) will be a social housing accelerator. The Western Australian Government support for community housing sector organisations, such as Accordwest, to provide more housing and better outcomes for low-income individuals and families in Western Australia are very welcome opportunities that Accordwest will be pursuing in its’ mission to make homeless a rare, brief and one-time occurrence.