ABC South West WA / By Jacqueline Lynch May 2021
A WA-first trial of tiny houses for homeless people is being launched in regional West Australia this week, as the state grapples with how to deal with the ongoing issue of people sleeping rough.
Three tiny, transportable houses have been built on a block of land in Bunbury, in the state's South West, to house people who have been homeless for a long time.
A WA-first trial of tiny houses for homeless people is being launched in regional West Australia this week, as the state grapples with how to deal with the ongoing issue of people sleeping rough.
Three tiny, transportable houses have been built on a block of land in Bunbury, in the state's South West, to house people who have been homeless for a long time.
Accordwest CEO Evan Nunn said the tenants would be able to stay in the units for up to six months while support staff helped them transition to long-term, stable housing.
"Up to 20 people over the next three years will get the benefit of the tiny houses," he said.
"[It's] a place where they can hold their head high and they can start to come back and work with our support staff and other providers to get a place back in the community.
Amid housing shortage and rising rental prices across the state Ms Dunstall said she would like to see more tiny houses set up.
"I would love to see it expanded and to be able to help so many other people out there that are doing it tough at the moment."
"This could quite possibly be a tiny little solution to the start of something big."
The head of WA's Council of Social Service Louise Giolitto also backed the solution but said with more than 10,000 living rough in WA, more needed to be done to combat homelessness.
"I think it's one of the solutions but it shouldn't be seen as the silver bullet that will actually resolve all issues," she said.
"We need at least a build of three thousand social housing - some of those could be tiny houses - but you need to look at the place and the people who are most in need and tiny houses won't suit everyone."
A new solution to an old problem
The member for Bunbury Don Punch said the aim of the state-funded trial wasn't to fix homelessness in the South West.
"It was never meant to solve homelessness," he said.
"This was a project that was about demonstrating diversity of housing form as an option to address our housing needs in the future."
However, Mr Punch said tiny houses could be replicated by housing providers or even individuals wanting affordable housing options.
"These provide a very affordable opportunity for people who would like to live in a smaller house to take these sorts of plans and look at replicating them for themselves."
He said tiny houses could play a bigger role in WA's housing mix in coming years.
The tiny houses will be open to the public on Saturday, ahead of the tenants moving in.
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