Fresh lick of paint gives Salvos crisis accommodation a new lease on life

The Salvation Army’s crisis accommodation has had a makeover in the hope its improved look will boost residents’ mental health. Aside from a decor improvement, security cameras have also been installed in the houses’ front garden to help residents feel more safe. The houses are designed as short-term accommodation to prevent people sleeping rough. Built next to the Salvation Army’s Bunbury building, the crisis housing sits next to three tiny homes which also provide temporary accommodation. They garnered the Best Regional Project or Initiative Award at the 2023 Shelter Homelessness and Community Housing Awards for their effectiveness. The new paint job for the crisis accommodation brings the buildings in line with the tiny homes to create a fresher look. Salvation Army South West Captain Mark Schatz said the refurbishment gave the houses and residents a new lease on life. “At the end of the day, it lifts the look of it, it lifts the character of it, it gives each one a little bit of space — when you’re coming into something that’s really nice, you tend to feel better about yourself,” he said. “It just builds people’s confidence, it builds people’s emotions up, it builds people’s mental health when they’re walking into something that’s looking much nicer than it was.” Funding for the refurbishment was provided by the State Government as Bunbury MLA Don Punch came to look at the finished project. Recent data by Shelter WA shows the number of people in temporary accommodation has skyrocketed in the past two years, with numbers in interim housing more than doubled. Mr Schatz said the housing was about giving people dignity and keeping them off the streets. “We’re housing families that have nowhere to live,” he said. “The important bit is it gets people off the streets, we can’t get everyone off the streets, but at least we can do what we can with what we’ve got ... and that is just a human rights, a human dignity thing. “We certainly don’t want people struggling and they don’t have to do it alone, we are always open — our drop in centres are open.”