Wongee Mia: Sharing the learnings

Join us in conversation with the Wongee Mia team, to learn about their innovative program that's transforming the way they support Aboriginal people who need help with housing, working closely with an extended Indigenous family in central Perth.

Meaning Strong Home, the Wongee Mia action-learning project supports individuals who are experiencing intergenerational homelessness and poverty, as well as their extended family who are also homeless or at risk of losing their tenancy. The project shows how outcomes for one person can positively affect the rest of their family.

Empowered and encouraged, the family named the project after a family Elder, who was an advocate for strengthening family ties and providing shelter – her family called her ‘Wongee’ meaning strong woman, with ‘Mia’ meaning home in the Noongar language. Today, Elders play a key role in guiding the project and in selecting workers to support the family.

In 2018, the Mercy Foundation provided seed funding through its Grants to End Homelessness program to Ruah Community Services in Perth, to pilot the Aboriginal Housing Initiative. In 2020, the Mercy Foundation provided another grant to help share the learnings of this remarkable project.

Wongee Mia has been recognised as a finalist in Team Excellence category of the 2020 Hesta Excellence Awards.