StepUp Tiny Homes - Preventing Youth Homelesness
To prevent young people leaving the Out of Home care system at 18 from becoming homeless and assist them with life skills to become employable.
The Problem
At 18, most fostered young people have to leave Out of Home Care and many end up homeless. StepUp Tiny Homes aims to accommodate some of them and assist them to independence by providing a relocatable tiny house in the backyard of a carer’s property. The project has been set up by several West Australian Rotary Clubs, and utilises the funding provided by the WA Home Stretch program.
At 18, fostered young people are required to leave Out of Home Care as support payments stop. Children who enter foster care have often experienced high levels of harm and trauma. There is almost no safe affordable rental for these young people, especially without any rental history, secure employment or large rental bond. As a result, nearly half of young people leaving care do not have stable accommodation and are at significant risk of homelessness (WA Auditor General report 2018-19). Once homeless, with ensuing mental, addiction, and other health issues, it is very difficult to get back to independent living, and a lifetime of homelessness beckons.
The Solution
Our solution.
StepUp Tiny Homes will provide a relocatable tiny home at the back yard of an existing family or carer’s property to provide safe affordable accommodation for a young person at risk of becoming homeless. The StepUp Tiny Home model maintains family and community support structures that enable the young person to mature and transition towards full independence.
StepUp Tiny Home is based on and supported by a proven existing model used by Kids Under Cover (kuc.org.au) in Victoria. StepUp Tiny Homes is a Pty Ltd company with DGR status, set up and supported by a group of Rotarians inspired by the Kids Under Cover model. StepUp Tiny Homes will own the houses, install them in the back yard of a foster carer (or similar applicant) and relocate them as the need changes.
The project relies on the support program provided by Home Stretch, part of which includes payment received by the young person as rental income. This must be supplemented by the young person as the payment decreases over time. This will necessitate some contribution by the young person through employment, which Rotarians will assist in arranging. A minimum commitment of 5 years is required to ensure sufficient funds are accumulated to fund the relocation of the unit to the next applicant. Most foster parents have several young people in foster care; it is anticipated that the unit would be utilised by multiple people as they reach the age of 18.
The tiny home will remain the property of StepUp Tiny Homes and the asset on which the loan is based
Step Up Tiny Homes Pty Ltd has been set up to own and manage the Tiny Homes.
Youth Support
Support:
Ongoing monitoring and support for the young person is provided by a Home stretch provider. Uplyft, Yorganup and the Salvation Army are service providers that participate in the Home Stretch WA program.
Rotary will work with the Homestretch WA provider to connect young people with flexible part-time work and training to help the young person gain financial independence.
The Houses
The Houses
StepUp Tiny Homes will build and install a transportable tiny home (nominally 6m x 4m) in the backyard of a suitable host's property.
Each unit will incorporate a generous bedroom with space for a study desk, a bathroom and an alcove with a mini kitchen. The kitchen will incorporate a fridge, microwave oven and sink, suitable for serving prepared foods. It is intended that the young person remain connected with the foster family and regularly join them for meals to maintain the relationship and parental guidance.
No laundry facilities will be provided in the houses again to ensure that the young person retains a relationship with the foster family.
The houses are currently built by Buildtech, a local WA company owned by a member of the Rotary Club of Perth. The construction material will be durable and easily repaired should the house be damaged.
The first Tiny House was installed in Port Kennedy in January 2026.
Our Project Partners
Dept of Communities - Home Stretch
Rotary Club of Perth
Buildtech Solutions
Rotary Club of Heirisson
Rotary Club of Osborne Park
Financial
Home Stretch WA Program:
The WA Government, through the Department of Communities has set up the Home Stretch WA program to assist in funding accommodation for young people leaving foster care. The program provides the young person with guidance, a dedicated counsellor, and funds. The funding levels currently are: 1st year payments are $476.25 2nd year 357.19, and 3rd year $238.12. The program finishes after three years or when the young person turns 21. The contribution, whilst appreciated, is well below current market rents, necessitating the involvement of subsidised rental accommodation.
Link. https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/home-stretch-wa
Funding
The cost of the unit is currently $140,000. To reduce the rental payments to a level that is affordable to the young person, $50,000 of this cost will need to be raised towards the costs of the house by Rotary. The remaining $90,000 will be borrowed and repaid by the contribution of the young person primarily through the income they receive from the Home Stretch program. Loan funding will be sought from Rotary Clubs, charitable foundations and commercial sources as needed.
RAWCS or other Rotary sources will contribute to assist Clubs in raising these funds.
Rotary-assisted flexible part-time work and training will be available at legislated rates, currently $20 to $27.5 (age dependant) per hour to augment the candidate’s income.
The company will need to borrow funds to supplement the contribution from Rotary. Initially, funding may be provided by private sources or some Rotary Clubs that have substantial savings
The current manufacturer of the tiny home, Buildtech P/L has provided an undertaking to re-purchase the home at $80,000 should it no longer be required.
The cost of relocating a unit is currently $20,000.
Port Kennedy Tiny House
House being craned in
Houses are transportable and craned in and out as needed.
Company Directors
The directors that have been assembled to run this company have a wide range of expertise that covers the needs of the organisation.
Susanne Staton
Secretary. Susanne is a member of the Perth Rotary Club
Marco Camer-Pesci
Director. Marco is a member of the Perth Rotary Club.
Monique Rampono
Director. Monique
David Wee
Director. David is an entrepreneur and the owner of Buildtech. He is the driving force that generated this project and passionate about it. He is a member of the Perth Rotary Club.
Graham Peden
Director. Graham is a quantity surveyor and a director of Wilde and Wollard’s Perth office. He is a member of the Perth Rotary Club
David Motta
Director. David is a retired Building Service Engineer with experience in the Property Management industry and in managing capital works. He is a member of the Osborne Park Rotary Club.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a description, explain what this section is all about in a few sentences. Highlight key points or benefits.
No, the Home Strech payment is only payable to a child leaving the Out of Home system, but the home can be installed for other reasons provided the young person can meet the rent payments.
Yes, we require the agreement of the land owner and require them to enter into a contract to enable the house to be located on the land.
No, but to receive the Home Strech payment you will need to work with them and have their support.
We will need to remove the tiny home. In addition, if it has been there for less than 5 years, the property owner will need to bear some of the cost for removal.
The house can be used by another young person provided they continue the rental payments.
Yes, provided they continue the rental payments.
Yes, the tiny home can be bought initially or at some later stage for a depreciated amount.