Minister turns sod at Freeman House

Armidale’s facility for the homeless and those requiring rehabilitation for drug and alcohol addiction is undergoing a $15 million makeover.

Mr Crean said on Friday the redevelopment was being jointly funded by the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Government’s Regional Development Australia Fund. 

“This project represents a strong investment partnership between the Federal Government and St Vincent de Paul Society,” Mr Crean said.  

“Since 1979, Freeman House has operated a specialist homelessness and drug and alcohol rehabilitation service through the hard work of the St Vincent de Paul Society."

The upgrade, which is due for completion in mid-2013, will provide a modern place where the homeless can learn life skills and access vital services.

It will have a 24-bed residential rehabilitation unit, a 10-bed detox and homelessness unit, six independent transitional units and a learning centre.

Mr Crean said the training and educational aspects of the new facility were a vital component of the services it would offer.

“The important extended initiative about this is the training dimension because it's one thing to give people comfort, refuge, and rehab facilities, it's another dimension of that to give them the second chance, in some cases third chance. 

“And education is the key to that, it doesn't matter which environment you talk about, education and training is the ticket to self sustainability, and we are confident that with the combination of the dedication of the great staff here and also of the facilities that we've provided, that they’ll be servicing effectively a lot more people.” 

The redevelopment involves the preservation and conservation of the Trim & Co heritage-listed building on Crescent St, with the original awning to be reinstated.

Four new two-storey building wings will be attached to the rear section of Freeman House, behind the existing building.