MORNINGTON Peninsula’s first tiny house on wheels for crisis accommodation is nearly complete thanks to an incredible community effort. The unique project, the first of its kind on the peninsula, is being hailed as a significant step towards providing immediate, dignified shelter for individuals or a small family in urgent need.
The fully mobile home is being built by former shire mayor Simon Brooks, along with a few other tradespeople, who have volunteered hours of their time to bring the vision to life. Supported by the Dromana Association and Rotary Club of Dromana, the project has been entirely community-funded, with $75,000 raised through fundraisers and donations.
Once finished, the tiny house will run as a pilot to trial and test various aspects of providing short-term emergency accommodation. It will ultimately be aimed at offering short-term accommodation, including for women and children fleeing family violence, people at risk of experiencing homelessness, or to help people get back on their feet.
The tiny house features a small kitchen including a sink, oven, cooktop, and bench space, a bathroom, and a bedroom area that includes a queen-size bed, pull-out storage, and a single bed for a child that also pulls out from under the main bed. The build is expected to be completed in the next few weeks before it is transported to the Salvation Army Homelessness Services in Rosebud, with plans underway to identify the first residents.
The prototype unit has been designed to operate as either a tiny house on wheels or as a small class 1a dwelling (ground-mounted). Brooks, the president of the Dromana Association and a builder of 35 years, has spent the past three months building the tiny house, which he hopes will garner continued support for similar projects in the future.
“Given that we now officially have the highest number of people experiencing homelessness from a municipal level, it has never been more critical to have emergency accommodation options,” he said. “We don’t have crisis accommodation of any real sort other than what the community support centres have done with The Ranch. This is aimed at that market.
“I have constructed it using materials that are light, strong, serviceable, and also fire-safe rated as I’m aware of the fact that this house could go into different locations.”
The peninsula is facing a crisis in emergency accommodation, with data showing that, as of 30 June, there were 110 people recorded as homeless on the peninsula, with about 75 percent sleeping rough in tents, cars, and on foreshore reserves (Peninsula records state’s highest homelessness numbers, The News 12/08/25).
Brooks said Rotary and the Dromana Association were proud to support solutions that brought an immediate impact. Maw Civil, a civil construction and earth-moving company in Dromana, kindly offered their workshop for the construction process, while local businesses and community groups have provided financial support and plenty of encouragement.
First published in the Mornington News – 2 September 2025
