FREMANTLE is poised to become the first local government in WA to convert one of its own buildings into an overnight respite centre for people sleeping rough.
The proposal, endorsed by the Strategic and General Services Committee this week, would see the city work exclusively with St Patrick’s Community Support Centre to establish a referral-based overnight respite service at the former St John Ambulance building at 14 Parry Street.
The centre would provide up to 28 beds a night for men, women and families, operating seven nights a week from 6pm to 7am, with St Pat’s seeking referrals for people already sleeping rough in Fremantle.
Social infrastructure
Over the past decade Fremantle council’s focus has shifted towards advocacy rather than directly delivering social infrastructure, but mayor Ben Lawver said he’d campaigned on tackling homelessness and people shouldn’t be surprised by the initiative.
“This is one thing that, as a City, we can do,” he said.
“While homelessness is a nationwide issue, we can still take care of what we can take care of here.”
The city would contribute $500,000 towards a $2.1 million fit-out, seek $1.6 million in grants and lease the building to St Pat’s for $1 a year, while jointly lobbying the State Government to commit to at least five years of operating funding.
Mr Lawver didn’t think extra beds available in Fremantle was likely to lead to a further influx of people experiencing homelessness.
“It’s a very modest small step; at any night there’s over 100 people on our streets, so giving 20 or so a break for 10 days, it’s a great step, but it’s not going to solve the problem.
“After 10 days, hopefully they’ll find a place to go, or find somewhere that they could stay more permanently.”
The mayor said the respite centre could become the first stage of a broader housing pathway, with his other dream of a “tiny village” providing an obvious next step.
“The idea with the tiny house village is people come from the streets or people that need a place to stay, stay there for one to three years.
“Different models have different length of stay, but then they work on finding a permanent place because the houses themselves are temporary.”
Fremantle Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chrissie Maus described the committee’s decision as “pretty brave” and praised the City’s leadership.
“Our members understand that a thriving economy and a compassionate community are not competing priorities. They go hand in hand,” she’d earlier told the committee from the public gallery.
She said businesses wanted “to see a Fremantle that is welcoming, safe and inclusive for everyone” and recognised “that providing people with dignity, support and pathways to assistance is a far better outcome than leaving vulnerable people without options.
“The Chamber has consistently advocated for practical, collaborative solutions to complex social issues.
“A respite centre is not the entire answer, but it is an important piece of the puzzle.
“It demonstrates leadership, partnership and a commitment to addressing challenges in a thoughtful and constructive way.”
Ms Maus also praised St Patrick’s Community Support Centre, saying: “Every day they quietly help keep people housed, support families through crisis and prevent many people from ever reaching the point of sleeping rough.”
St Pat’s CEO Michael Piu said Fremantle had a proud history of turning compassion into action, and the proposal had the potential to make a real and lasting difference to people’s lives.
“We commend the City of Fremantle for its leadership and willingness to work collaboratively on practical, evidence-informed responses to homelessness. This proposal for an overnight respite accommodation service recognises that while housing remains the long-term solution, people also need safety, dignity and support while that journey continues.
“The community has been clear that it wants meaningful action on homelessness.
This proposal represents a practical step that can help people experiencing rough sleeping while supporting a safer and more inclusive community for everyone.”
Council officers said the proposal was prompted by the lack of any overnight respite accommodation in Fremantle despite between 110 and 260 people experiencing homelessness each month between January 2023 and August 2024, with between 60 and 115 sleeping rough.
The report says the proposed service is modelled on Perth’s Tom Fisher House and is intended as “a safe place to sleep and access support, not a long-term housing solution”, with council approval allowing community consultation, grant applications and advocacy for state government funding to begin.
by STEVE GRANT