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Watch how quickly this “My Home” is built.
The “My Home” concept is based on the Housing First model and is delivered to a site provided by the Western Australian State Government at a peppercorn lease. It is devised by Michelle Blakeley a local architect with a keen interest in homeless housing.
Michelle has brought together several partners including Offsite a Perth construction technology company who create and deliver the prefabricated timber wall and floor cassettes. Rotary WA will fit the house out with furniture and homewares as well as creating gardens and St. Patrick’s Community Support Centre who will eventually manage the completed property and tenants.
National Association of Woman in Construction Award
The team of contributors and supporters of the “My Home” project for housing homeless people has won the 2020 WA Women In Construction – Social Responsibility Award. This award recognises the achievements of an outstanding woman who has shown significant commitment to others, or another social cause within the construction industry.
The Vision
Shelter WA met with and profiled the early stages of Michelle’s ideas on what would become this project back in 2018.
Michelle Blakeley
“I receive a number of architecture journals on email and I read about a project in Victoria where State Government reserve land was being leased at a peppercorn rate as sites for small houses for homeless people,” Michelle said.
Launch Housing, a community organisation which provides housing and homelessness support services in Victoria, is building 57 transportable homes across nine sites around Melbourne’s inner west. If the land is needed back by the State Government, the dwellings can easily move elsewhere.
The project received significant funding from Flight Centre co-founder Geoff Harris to the tune of $4-million.
Michelle was impressed by those numbers. She equated it to a Perth example she knew of where it cost $25-million to house just 75 homeless people in a medium rise development.
“You can build so many small houses for a fraction of the cost of medium-high rise development which require more infrastructure such as lifts and fire separation, which add to the cost. It seemed such a logical, efficient and economical way to provide housing.” Michelle explained.
“On the same day that I read about the Melbourne project, I walked to a meeting in the City and I became very aware of the homeless people lying around the empty shopfronts. I thought that the Melbourne project was appropriate for Perth and wrote a proposal for our State Government.”
Viewing
The demonstration house is in the yard of Offsite Constructions, 20 Ballantyne Road, Kewdale. You are welcome to inspect the house Monday to Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm.
To observe OH&S requirements, you need to sign in at the Offsite office upon arrival. If you intend to visit as a group, please telephone or email Donna Alday a few days in advance. Telephone (08) 9495 2867.
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