The Western Bulldogs Football Club have teamed up with leading Melbourne housing provider HomeGround Services, to develop an innovative social housing initiative known as the Bulldogs HomeGround, to be built at the ‘new’ Whitten Oval in West Footscray.
The Western Bulldogs are committed to our local community and this commitment has been demonstrated in so many ways . Whether it is through the operation of our community services arm, SpiritWest Services, the inclusion of new community facilities such as a not-for-profit child care centre or accommodating Victoria University at the ‘new’ Whitten Oval.
As the Community Club of the AFL, we see that community organisations like ourselves and HomeGround Services, can make a difference in supporting those most vulnerable in our community of the western suburbs, who don’t have a home.
We believe that the power of football has the ability to empower, motivate, inspire and ultimately change lives, while HomeGround Services have the simple mission of ending homelessness.
The meeting of our two organisations in a unique partnership means that we can develop a genuine community asset that will make a fundamental difference to the lives of many.
The problem of homelessness and lack of housing affordability is well documented.
It is estimated that in the west, encompassing Flemington, Footscray, Braybrook, Maidstone, Sunshine, Werribee and Melton, there are about 5000 people on a waiting list for public housing.
The waiting list for individuals, in some of these cases, can be indefinite. In a modern, prosperous community like Melbourne, this situation is unacceptable.
So, in February 2009, when the Australian Government released its $43 billion stimulus package, including $1.5 billion to provide about 5000 social housing units across Victoria, we saw a unique opportunity to open up our home of 126 years, to those who need one.
We plan to build two low rise buildings (no more than five stories high) to provide a mixture of accommodation types, with a capacity of up to 250 housing units to be used for a variety of purposes including:
• supported social housing for people who would otherwise be homeless
• affordable housing for low income workers in key industries such as health, community services and emergency services and;
• high quality, supported housing for older people.
To ensure the community benefits from this project, it is also proposed that we include a new indoor public swim centre and new public gymnasium.
As part of this proposal, HomeGround Services will provide the management, tenancy and support services associated with the social and affordable housing elements of the initiative, using its renowned Common Ground model.
This means that people are not merely housed and then abandoned, but they receive intensive, hands on support, to turn their lives around in a safe and secure environment that will enhance the amenity of the area.
The total development cost of the Bulldogs HomeGround initiative is estimated at about $80 million. Its construction time frame will be about two years and it is estimated that this will provide and create in the order of 2000 direct and indirect jobs.
These jobs and the prosperity they bring will be of huge benefit in the west , a region which has been hit hard by the worst economic crisis the world has seen since the Depression.
This project represents a unique window of opportunity to do something meaningful to address one of the most entrenched social problems confronting our community - homelessness.
Despite the good intentions and endeavours of all tiers of government over many years, the scourge of homelessness remains. But dealing with the problem is beyond the capacity of government alone - it requires a whole of community response.
That is why the Bulldogs HomeGround proposal has emerged. It is a creative, innovative response to the opportunity provided by the Australian Government’s stimulus package and is driven by the stated objectives of all local, State and Federal Government’s to end homelessness.
We believe the ‘new’ Whitten Oval will be an excellent place to live. The Geelong Road end of the ground where the Bulldogs HomeGround is to be built is currently just a contaminated mound of dirt.
The site is just 50 metres from West Footscray Railway Station and less than 10 kms from the central Melbourne, in the inspirational and aspirational setting of the Western Bulldogs Football Club.
It must be stressed that this project is still only a proposal and has many more hurdles to overcome before it will become a reality. It will also undoubtedly evolve, based on consultation with the community and key stakeholders.
The Western Bulldogs and HomeGround Services look forward to receiving your feedback to help shape this proposal, to contact the Club email godogs@westernbulldogs.com.au
To learn more about HomeGround Services go to: www.homeground.org.au
Or to read an article published in The Sunday Age on October 11 relating to this proposal visit: http://www.theage.com.au/national/bulldogs-plan-tackles-affordable-housing-20091010-grmo.htmlhttp://www.theage.com.au/national/bulldogs-plan-tackles-affordable-housing-20091010-grmo.html
