WA Pushes Ahead with $43m Housing Scheme at Mandurah

A 50-home community housing project south of Perth has moved into the next stage of development.

Expressions of interest are now being sought for the property and tenancy management services at the planned Common Ground community housing project in the Peel region south of the WA capital.

Planned for a site at 85 Alnutt Street, Mandurah, the WA government project will become home for 50 tenants in one-bedroom or studio apartments ranging from 36.5sq m to 54.5 square metre.

It will be the second Common Ground site in WA after construction was completed late last year on a $70-million, 17-storey project at East Perth.

“The Common Ground model offers a housing-first approach, with wraparound services, and has proven to work around the world,” a government spokesperson told The Urban Developer.

In October 2024, Atlas Building (WA) was appointed to build the $43.1-million project.

▲ Rendering of Mandurah Common Ground—an operator for the community housing project is now being sought.

The state is considering entering into a lease agreement for management of the property and a service agreement for tenancy-related services, with interested parties able to express interest in one or both of the roles.

The project’s expression-of-interest documents acknowledge that for many tenants higher-density living will be new and take time to adjust to.

Originating in New York more than 20 years ago, the Common Ground model has been adopted in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Port Augusta. 

The Common Ground at Mandurah will provide permanent housing for people who are homeless or on low incomes and who have experienced barriers to obtaining housing over a long period of time.

Designed by Perth-based Gresley Abas architects, the project’s five-level building will have a floor area of 8576sq m and a five-star energy rating.

Envisaged for the project are commercial tenancies, one of which has been earmarked for a cafe or delicatessen, that range in size from 47.5sq m to 124.8 square metres.

Expressions of interest close on February 23. The WA government anticipates the Mandurah Common Ground will open to tenants this year.