Elizabeth Street Supportive Housing



					Elizabeth Street Common Ground Supportive Housing is a partnership between the State and Federal Governments, Yarra Community Housing, HomeGround Services and Grocon. The project started with planning and demolition permits granted in February 2009 and is due to be completed in October 2010. Elizabeth Street Common Ground Supportive Housing will be an 11 storey building divided into two precincts with separate entries, one on to Elizabeth Street and the other on to Berkeley Street: the first providing housing for 131 ‘supported’ tenants and the other for 30 tenancies in affordable housing. The building will also provide operational offices for YCH and HomeGround, as well as community facilities for tenants and a green roof garden. The supportive housing model aims to provide a safe, secure, affordable and long-term housing option to people who have experienced chronic homelessness. Specifically the project seeks to reduce the number of chronically homeless on the streets by providing a place where services are contained on the one premises, and support is provided in relation to mental health services, employment assistance and medical referrals etc. It is a facility with 24 hour concierge services, providing a permanent home. Supportive housing has proven to be an effective solution to ending chronic homelessness for people who have high and complex needs and who have struggled to access and maintain housing in the past.