Pod-style accommodation boost for women’s shelter

New pod accommodation will ease the pressure on a women’s shelter that has had its residency grow by more than 100 per cent in the past year.

TEN new purpose-built shipping container homes will provide accommodation for women and their children who are homeless or escaping domestic violence.

The pods, provided for Hobart Women’s Shelter, are set to welcome their first tenants next week at an undisclosed site where residents will receive around-the-clock social support.

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch with Hobart Women's Shelter CEO Janet Saunders in one of the new temporary accommodation pods. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

Hobart Women’s Shelter chief executive Janet Saunders said the units would provide much-needed accommodation after shelter residency grew by more than 100 per cent over the past year.

“It gives our existing site 25 crisis units and seven transitional properties, which are important to ensure we are moving families through the shelter to allow others to come in,” she said.

Each unit is fitted with two beds, a bathroom and a kitchen. Ms Saunders said it was “too early to tell” if the 10 extra living pods would meet the shelter’s growing needs.

Each of the units features two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch said the pods followed the State Government-commissioned 18 units at Bethlehem House as part of its $5 million Winter Package to extend existing shelters.

“This extends on homelessness supports included in our Affordable Housing Action Plan 2019-2023 and our recently announced $3.1 billion infrastructure and construction blitz,” he said.