The Full Story
HOUSING + HUB
A well-established not-for-profit community organisation, Connect Victoria Park Inc has been active for over 60 years in Victoria Park. Until 2015 we were known as the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Association.
Connect Victoria Park collaborates with older people to increase wellbeing and to support ageing in community. We use a Housing + Hub model to achieve that. The Housing + Hub model is an innovative solution to address social isolation, health needs of an ageing population, and the housing crisis for low income older people, especially older single women.
Our Community Housing – 70 studio apartments and one-bedroom units on Mackie and Cargill Streets in Vic Park – was built over three decades starting in the 1960’s. Since then it has provided for the most fundamental humans needs – safety and security – to generations of older people.
Our Village Hub, which operates from our community centre on 5 Mackie Street, offers ways for people 55+ to pursue other needs – belonging and love, social connection, self-esteem and purpose. Tenants in our housing are automatically members of the Village Hub.
Established in 2018, the Village Hub is the first of its kind in Western Australia, with more than 300 members. It is an outlet for members and tenants to find others with similar interests, strike friendships, run groups around activities of interest, and support each other as they age. Being part of the Village Hub has increased members quality of life over the years. It brings people together, reinforcing community bonds and greatly benefitting our Community Housing tenants.
Spirit/Geist
Spirit/Geist is a short 3 minute movie made by Kritika Lama that tells the story of Ingrid and Mary their attitude to ageing and life at Connect Victoria Park's Housing + Hub.
The film was made for The ‘Life in Pictures’ short film competition, an innovative collaboration between the Revelation Film Festival, the Department of Communities (Communities), arts, and the community to encourage discussion
around ageism and to promote positive ageing.
Spirit/Geist was shortlisted as a finalist in the Life in Pictures competition and was first screened at "Get Your Shorts On" the closing night showcase of the Revelation Film Festival on 14 July 2024