Thursday, 6 February 2025

 Nina TAYLOR (Albert Park) (17:35): (1000) My adjournment is for the Minister for Housing and Building Harriet Shing, and the action I seek is for the minister to visit my electorate of Albert Park to see the progress made on the Wellington Street Common Ground project, which is now well underway. Construction has started on a Common Ground facility in St Kilda that will provide permanent housing and onsite support services for local people experiencing homelessness, ultimately helping them get the support they need to get on with their lives. Thanks to a partnership between Homes Victoria, Port Phillip City Council and St Kilda Community Housing, an existing rooming house has been demolished and will be replaced with a three-level building with 26 self-contained units with space for support services and a concierge. The Victorian government is contributing more than $6 million towards the construction of the new housing in St Kilda and will also cover operating costs for four years. The new project will operate using the evidence-based Housing First approach, which has been specifically designed to address the multiple and complex needs of people who have been sleeping rough. Once people are housed in one of the new units, support workers help address complex needs through services such as drug and alcohol counselling or mental health treatment. The project is due for completion by mid-2025.