News

​With statistics showing that there can be more than 100 people sleeping rough in and around Broome on any given night, the Broome Aboriginal Short Stay Accommodation Facility will be a welcome addition to the Shire.

The facility is still in the planning stages but substantial progress has been made following an announcement on 29 January by Minister for Housing Colin Holt that that the Government has now identified a suitable site for the facility following extensive collaboration with Broome’s Yawuru community.

The establishment of a Broome Aboriginal short stay facility follows the successful outcomes of the Derby Aboriginal Short Stay Accommodation Facility which opened in September 2014 and has provided safe, affordable accommodation to those in need.

Along with accommodation and a meal and laundry service, the Derby facility also offers important in-reach support services to enable guests to easily access any additional help they may need including social workers, drug, alcohol and financial counselling services. The Derby short stay has received widespread acclaim and was selected as a finalist in the 2015 Premier’s Awards for its contribution to Improving Aboriginal Outcomes in Western Australia.

A similar Aboriginal short stay facility has also been operating in Kalgoorlie since 2012, providing a significant improvement in outcomes for Aboriginal visitors to the Goldfields region and paving the way for the creation of the Kimberley facilities.

Minister for Housing Colin Holt is a firm advocate of the need to construct an Aboriginal short stay facility in Broome.

“Broome is a major regional centre in the Kimberley and Aboriginal people from around the region travel there to attend to business and access a range of services including medical, social and support services,” Minister Holt said.

The Housing Authority's Acting General Manager Service Delivery Peter Lonsdale said the new facility would provide a much needed service to the Broome community.

"Following the excellent outcomes of the Aboriginal short stay accommodation in Derby, I look forward to seeing a positive impact on the Broome community and a direct reduction in out of town visitors sleeping rough when they come to do business in Broome," Peter said.

The facility in Broome will be developed by the Housing Authority with a $21.1 million investment through the State Government's Royalties for Regions program.