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Orange Uniting Church's plan for boarding house in CBD
August 8, 2023
By Peter Holmes
A development application (DA) for a seven-bedroom CBD boarding house has been proposed by Orange Uniting Church on Anson Street as a way to help support the city’s homeless.
The church wants to remodel its kindergarten hall (circa 1919 and 1960) to be used as the temporary accommodation.
Reverend Andrew Cunningham told The Orange News Examiner on Tuesday morning that the Uniting Church would run the facility, but work closely with the Department of Communities and Justice. The church would likely employ a support worker at the boarding house.
He said the maximum stay would be three months, with the hope that people were able to find more secure accommodation before spending that long in the boarding house.
It would be aimed mainly at women. The accommodation would cater to children, but wouldn’t necessarily have the required facilities to make it family-friendly. The Orchard refuge would continue to serve women escaping domestic violence.
“We’ve been looking at how to reuse that hall for three or four years,” Cunningham said. “We’ve had various thoughts about it, including renting it out as a cafe. A dentist approached us to ask if they could buy it.
“In conversations with agencies in town who deal with the increased shortage of housing, we came to the conclusion that it aligns with our mission plan.
"The Uniting Church has always been very outward-focused, very social justice-minded, so it’s very much in line with the work that we do. Although church is important, it’s what we do outside of church.”
The redevelopment would cost around $500,000, Cunningham believes, although he said no quotes had been sourced from builders.
The DA, which is on public exhibition until September 4, 2023, states: “The change of use will involve various internal and external works. Internal works will include conversion for 7 accommodation rooms, open-plan shared spaces (kitchen, dining, living), remodelling of the existing toilet block for common amenities, and installation of a small office.”
External works will include an enclosed verandah, accessible amenities within the verandah space, ramp access to the front door and entrance terrace/deck.
“The subject site is of State significance,” the DA states. “The early 1863‐1876 church structure is of State significance, with the 1920 additions of moderate significance.
“The front 1919 kindergarten hall on its own would be of Local significance but forms an element of moderate significance on the site, with the 1960 additions of little significance.”
Cunningham said he was hopeful that the community would support the plan.
The Uniting Church already operates temporary accommodation via a caravan, which has been in high demand over winter.
On August 25 the church will host an expo on its lawns, from around lunchtime into the early evening. A number of social service agencies will be there, and there will be interactives, displays and the Vinnies hot food van.
The Vinnies Community Sleepout will be held that night, with hopes of raising $10,000 to $15,000 to allow the Vinnies van to supply meals weekly rather than fortnightly.
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