Grant boost for inner-city crisis accommodation and community cafe

- Lotterywest grant of $989,944 to support refurbishment of 55 Central’s men’s crisis accommodation and establish social enterprise cafe Grow & Grind - New cafe to provide training and employment for people facing hardship - Builds on Cook Labor Government’s significant housing and homelessness supports The Cook Labor Government has presented service provider 55 Central a Lotterywest grant of nearly $1 million, supporting two projects promoting better outcomes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Perth’s inner city. Providing a total of $989,944 in funding, the grant will support 55 Central to continue to refurbish its Maylands-based crisis accommodation complex, which provides men experiencing or at risk of homelessness with a place to sleep and tailored supports. The complex’s 24 crisis beds will remain available during the refurbishments, which include upgrades to bedrooms, shared kitchens, laundry and communal areas, expanding the functionality and longevity of the service. Part of the grant will also go towards expanding 55 Central’s social enterprise Grow & Grind into a full-scale cafe based at East Perth Common Ground. It currently operates as a coffee van and provides training and employment for people experiencing hardship. Once constructed, the cafe will offer a stable, lowbarrier workplace for Western Australians at risk of homelessness, with training expanded to include food preparation and customer service. The Lotterywest grant builds upon the Cook Labor Government’s significant investment in housing and homelessness supports, with $103.7 million invested as part of the recent State Budget 2026-27. As stated by Homelessness and Community Services Minister Matthew Swinbourn: “The Cook Labor Government continues to support initiatives that not only provide accommodation for people experiencing homelessness when they need it most, but also offer them training, employment and a way forward. “55 Central is an established provider with a history of supporting Western Australians facing hardship, and this Lotterywest grant will enable them to continue to extend and expand their services. “Ensuring every person experiencing or at risk of homelessness has access to supports and pathways towards accommodation and housing is one of the Cook Labor Government’s greatest priorities, as set out in our 10-Year Strategy on Homelessness.”