A brand-new, safe, supported accommodation facility designed for men was opened in Devonport on 13 December 2023.
Marram Place provides safe and supported accommodation for men facing homelessness on the North-West Coast of Tasmania. Up to eight men, including an option for a father with children, have access to the emergency accommodation and support service. The main building also includes accommodation for staff to provide a 24/7 presence at the site.
“CatholicCare Tasmania is proud to be working with Homes Tasmania in managing Marram Place, which will help address a service gap in crisis accommodation for men, and support residents to transition to more stable living arrangements,” said CatholicCare Tasmania’s CEO Julia Mangan.
Ms Mangan said interest is coming from men who are living in overcrowded situations or have been sleeping rough due to not having options to stay with family or friends. Further impacting this cohort is the shortage in supply of single-occupancy dwellings. For men with accompanying children Marram Place is only one of two dedicated short crisis accommodation facilities in Tasmania.
“We will work with participants to develop an action plan tailored to their individual circumstances, in accordance with five key life domains: Housing & Living Skills, Health & Wellbeing, Education, Employment, and social connections.
“We will achieve this by supporting men within Marram Place from surviving to thriving; harnessing their capabilities to support their pathway to independence; holistic, self-directed, and supported personal planning; experiential learning, and creating opportunities for civic responsibility and community connectedness,” said Ms Mangan.
The Patron Saint of the homeless, Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, is also the Patron Saint of Marram Place.
If you are homeless or need housing assistance (in Tasmania), you can contact Housing Connect on 1800 800 588, 24 hours.
Photo by Rob Burnett.