A 45-unit inner-city housing development by Fairbrother and Hobart City Mission in Hobart is the first initiative to involve Common Ground Tasmania.

The organisation’s Chair, Mr Hank Petrusma, said a strong team of passionate, skilled and committed Tasmanians had been formed to progress Common Ground in Tasmania.

Find out more about the Common Ground Tasmania board

The Australian and Tasmanian Governments announced a $10 million project for Hobart’s inner-city on 2 April 2009 to help vulnerable Tasmanians break the cycle of homelessness.

A Place to Call Home Hobart will be Tasmania’s first development based on the principles of Common Ground. It will provide 25 units of accommodation directly targeted at the homeless, with a further 20 units for low income earners suffering rental stress. Tenants will include a mix of workers, students, low income earners and the homeless.  

"Homelessness is everybody’s responsibility," Mr Petrusma said. "When times are tough, Tasmanians help each other out. Now more than ever, it’s time for us all to work together to end homelessness in our State.

"Common Ground is a new opportunity to involve business in partnerships to support to homeless Tasmanians and we hope that the announcement of this project will be the impetus for getting the private sector involved in this whole-of-community effort to end homelessness in Tasmania.

"But most importantly, Common Ground offers new opportunities for homeless Tasmanians.  It combines affordable accommodation and supportive services– this means giving Tasmanians a place to call home and the opportunity to move forward in life with dignity, security and hope for the future."

The Common Ground model creates a vibrant mixed community of formerly homeless people and low-income tenants by providing support services from the site and links back into the community with opportunities for employment, education, training and social networks. Tenants have their own apartments, enter into rental agreements and pay rent. 

The Common Ground model has been operating in the United States since 1990 and is now operating in South Australia and been committed to in Victoria and New South Wales.

Founder Roseanne Haggerty visited Tasmania in May 2008 and her report to the Tasmanian Government, Ending Homelessness in Tasmania, said Tasmania’s spirit of mutual concern, neighbourliness and belief in the need for a stable home would provide the basis for a successful whole-of-community response to homelessness.

Mr Petrusma said Common Ground Tasmania had established strong links with other states and looked forward to working in partnership with the national network, the Australian Common Ground Alliance (ACGA), to deliver results for Tasmania.

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