Welcome to 55 Central
55 Central provides housing and support services to people who are facing homelessness, living with mental illness or addiction issues or have other issues impacting on their lives.
55 Central is a place of safety, respect, hope and recovery.
How We Work
Building Trusting Relationships
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Physical and Emotional Safety
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Healing and Recovery
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Cultural Competence
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Education and Empowerment
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Building Agency, Strength and Resilience
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How We Work
Building Trusted Relationships
Physical and Emotional Safety
Healing and Recovery
Education and Empowerment
Cultural Competence
Building Agency, Strength and Resilience
Our History
55 Central, previously known as ACRAH, was founded in 1975 by Pandora and Kevin Young after their own personal experiences had highlighted the absence of treatment and support options for people in crisis at the time. In these early days, Kevin and Pandora used their own home and resources, with help from volunteers, to provide short-term accommodation and basic care to men and women, most with mental health and/or addiction issues who would otherwise have had nowhere else to go.
Over the years the service grew and attracted some government support. By the early 1990s, in response to increasing demand and recognition of the complexity of care needs, services were expanded. 55 Central was provided with an allocation of 10 community based properties by the Department of Housing which allowed longer term accommodation and support to be provided to a greater number of people. Support workers, funded by the (then) Department for Child Protection, provided a greater level of professional, evidence based support with a shift towards interventions such as case management, education and supported referral.
In partnership with the Department of Housing, a new purpose-built crisis accommodation service and administration building was constructed. In March 2001, 55 Central moved from our original site in Field Street, Mount Lawley to its present location in Maylands.