Cade Lucas
They won’t ease the housing crisis on their own, but the two homes recently purchased by a Wyndham charity will make a big difference to the families that will live in them.
The properties in Wyndham Vale and Hoppers Crossing were bought by Reach West Community Services, a charitable organisation and community hub run by Epiphany Anglican Church.
Reach West community hub coordinator Ashton Grogan said the homes will be rented to refugees or newly arrived migrant families at reduced rates.
“The aim is to really get people who are new into the country set up with discounted accommodation, so they don’t have to worry about how they’re going to afford rent in the current cost of living crisis,” she said.
“They’ll have that support for one year in that home and hopefully during that time, we can equip them with the skills to go out and find employment, manage a budget and then go out into a private rental or purchase a home for themselves.”
Both properties have recently settled and the charity is currently sorting through applications to select the first families that will call them home.
If successful, it’s hoped the program will expand to more properties throughout Wyndham.
It’s not just new houses for refugees and migrants that Reach West is concerned with though.
The charity itself has just moved into a new home next door to Epiphany Anglican Church in Mossfiel Drive, Hoppers Crossing.
The new community hub opened last week and will act as a meeting space as well as an operational base for Reach West’s other services such as computer literacy, resume writing and budgeting classes and an English as a second language program.
As with the two new homes, most of these are tailored for refugees and migrants.
Ashton Grogan explained why.
“So what we found being in the Wyndham area is that we have a lot of refugee and migrant groups in our area, particularly as part of the Anglican Church,” she said.
“About 70 to 80% of our church members are ex-refugees or migrants or come from a refugee and migrant background.”
However, Ms Grogan stressed Reach West’s community hub and its services were open to everyone.
“Anyone who is in need of our services, or anyone who thinks that they would benefit from our services.”
For more information contact Reach West at info@reachwest.org.au
