LAVINIA CHAN

To define homelessness, it is where individuals or families lack a stable, safe and permanent place to live which often results them living on streets or shelters. The reasons could include house affordability, substance abuse, low income and much more. Preston is ranked 11th in Victoria out of 88 electorates, with 45% living in severely overcrowded dwellings and 42% living in supported accommodations. How can people living with homelessness be better supported in these situations and hopefully bring down these numbers in the near future?

 

The project aims to create a safe space for people living with homelessness to have a place called home. The idea is to create a space where those living with homelessness can create their own community, and have a place to work or get the help to find work. This opportunity is created through shared spaces that the building provides such as; grocery store, first aid/GP, centrelink, community garden, shared bathrooms, shared kitchen, shared BBQ area and shared social spaces.

 

The building is able to be cheap and affordable due to the building being built with reusedand low priced  materials. This includes using shipping storage containers as the outer core of the building. Australia has a large sources of shipping storage containers due to Melbourne having a port at Docklands where a lot of storage containers are used. The steel is used from a local factory (77-83 Sutton St, North Melbourne) that is no longer in use and will soon be demolished and be redeveloped into an  apartment. The materials will be demolished so the steel from the factory can be used as the structural elements of the new housing. The timber cladding for the building will also be recycled timber that is no longer used on other projects around the site. 

 

The services provided on site will help residents as; grocery store (where grocery items are prices at a lower price so that it’s affordable), first aid/GP (to provide free health checks for those living on site), injection room (where people who use drugs can use them safely on site and they will be monitored by health professionals, and rehab will also be provided for them), and shared spaces such as bathrooms and kitchen spaces where people can use these spaces freely.

 

Overall this building aims to help those living with homelessness and get them back on their feet. The building also provides not only a home, but also the help they need to get them experience in socialising with others and mentally by doing activities to help out throughout the building such as the community garden and helping out at the onsite grocery store.