Construction is now underway on a dedicated facility to temporarily house veterans at risk of homelessness, following a sod-turning ceremony in Cannington, Perth’s southern suburbs.
The Andrew Russell Veteran Living (ARVL) program, run by RAAFA WA, is expected to open by September next year and will provide up to 16 single-person units for veterans in crisis.
RAAFA WA CEO Michelle Fyfe said the development would deliver 5,000 nights of accommodation annually, with each veteran typically staying three to six months.
Michelle added demand for the facility was immense, with one in five veterans finding themselves facing homelessness at some point in their life.
The Perth project has been largely driven by Kylie Russell, who has campaigned for veteran housing since the death of her husband, Sergeant Andrew Russell, in Afghanistan in 2002 while serving with the SAS Regiment.
The $10 million program has been funded by a $5 million Lotterywest grant in late 2024 and $4.91 million from the Federal Government confirmed in February.
“I never thought it would take this long to commence a program that we so desperately need for a group of people who are so well respected by our nation, who we have so much to thank,” Kylie told The West Australian.
“Five years has been an incredibly long time for this dream to come true, but moving forward we now have the funding from the Federal Government to now proceed with these next steps.”
The Perth ARVL follows the successful rollout of a similar facility in Myrtle Bank, Adelaide, which has operated for nine years, housing 247 veterans and providing 29,216 nights of accommodation across its 50 units.
