Australian owned construction company ADCO has been contracted to deliver a $70 million Perth project which will provide purpose-built housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness or on low incomes.

The East Perth Common Ground is part of the Perth City Deal’s Homelessness Housing projects, a partnership between the WA and federal governments and the City of Perth.

It will provide a mix of permanent housing options together with on site-support services for mental illness and substance abuse, links to education, and training and case-management.

The development, which was designed with input from representatives from community housing and Aboriginal community organisations, will see the construction of 112 self-contained apartments with 24/7 front desk presence.

Construction is set to get underway in coming months.

ADCO’s successful tender represents an expansion of its WA portfolio, which includes major CBD projects including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the new METRONET Lakelands Station south of Perth and the Public Transport Operations Control Centre currently underway in East Perth.

A tender for service providers for tenancy and supports for the Common Ground project is expected to open late this year.

Governments working together

Infrastructure minister Catherine King said the awarding of the contract to ADCO represented a major milestone for the joint state and federal project.

“This is a fantastic example of all levels of government working together to deliver strategic, place-based urban development to the benefit of all Western Australians,” she said.

WA has committed $2.6 billion for social housing and homelessness measures over the four years, with the aim of delivering 4,000 homes, the state’s housing and homelessness minister John Carey says.

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

Common Ground is a housing model that originated in New York more than 20 years ago and has been adopted in Australian cities including Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide.

A second Common Ground will be located in Mandurah, in WA’s Peel region.