Image: Residents of St Bart’s Men’s Transitional Service enjoy the shared space of a newly refurbished kitchen.
First opening as a small homeless shelter for men in 1963, St Bart’s is now one of Perth’s leading not-for-profit providers of accommodation and outreach services for vulnerable Western Australians. Catering to those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, trauma, mental health challenges or hardship, St Bart’s provide person-centred and trauma-informed recovery support to more than 550 people daily.
Receiving a Community Housing Refurbishment Grant of $769,353, St Bart’s refurbished several properties including their transitional accommodation for men in East Perth, Community Recovery Villages in Kelmscott and Midland and accommodation units in Midland.
Completed in early 2023, refurbishment works included communal kitchen, laundry and bathroom upgrades, flooring replacement, painting, tiling, glazing and plaster work, landscaping and installation of new kitchenettes and air conditioners. Additionally, 45 windows were replaced across six levels at St Bart’s Men’s Transitional Service in East Perth, allowing improved air flow and thermal comfort, while still maintaining security.
Not only will completed works help to prolong the life of St Bart’s refurbished properties for many years, but according to St Bart’s CEO Samantha Drury, the installation of kitchenettes has helped to empower residents of their Men’s Transitional Service to re-engage in activities they were not able to partake in whilst experiencing homelessness.
“To say the refurbishments afforded by the Community Housing Grant have greatly improved the living and working conditions of St Bart’s residents, consumers and staff is an understatement. We pride ourselves on providing the people in our services with the support they need to work through their recovery and towards securing long-term accommodation in the community. Part of that support means providing the physical facilities that allow them to focus on what they need to do to get to that next stage.
“Just one example of this is the newly refurbished kitchens that sit across five levels in our Men’s Transitional Service. These wonderful new kitchens provide a space for social interaction where men can gather around the breakfast bar and have a chat, as well as budget for, prepare and cook meals. Flow on effects such as these are the real benefits Grants funded works have provided to the people in our services.”
To read more about Community Housing Refurbishment Grants, visit the Community Housing Refurbishment Grant page.
