The construction of three social and affordable apartment housing projects is on track to soon deliver more than 200 homes in metropolitan Melbourne.
The homes will be built in Brighton East, St Kilda and Balaclava as a result of a funding partnership between the Andrews Labor Government and the Albanese Labor Government.
The State Labor Government is contributing $75.03 million for projects across the three sites, while the Federal Labor Government will provide $18 million in grants and loans for works through the National Housing Infrastructure Facility.
These housing developments will deliver much needed social and affordable housing for people on the Victoria Housing Register, including those living with a disability and for women over 55 years old at risk of homelessness.
Legislation is currently before the Federal Parliament to create the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund which will make more projects for social and affordable homes like this possible.
The Balaclava project will deliver 46 apartments, including one, two and three-bedroom apartments for families on the Victorian Housing Register and some Specialist Disability Accommodation.
In Brighton East, 69 aged-care units are currently being redeveloped into 152 self-contained apartments for people over 55-years old. In St Kilda, a rooming house was redeveloped into 36 self -contained apartments, for women over 55 -years old. The refurbishment includes a flexible communal area, with a HousingFirst office, providing a platform to encourage and create a supportive community.
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Housing Julie Collins
“Working together in partnerships like this to build more social and affordable homes are what we’re trying to achieve through our Housing Australia Future Fund which will help more vulnerable Victorians.
”This $10 billion fund will build 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties in its first five years, including 4,000 homes for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence or older women at risk of homelessness.
“The fund will be the single biggest investment by a Federal Government in social and affordable housing in more than a decade and will provide a secure pipeline of funding for social and affordable housing.”
Quotes attributable to State Minister for Housing Colin Brooks
“Addressing housing needs is a shared responsibility of all levels of government. I’m proud to be joined here today in Balaclava by HousingFirst, the City of Port Phillip and our Commonwealth colleagues to deliver this important project.
“By working together, we can ensure even more people who need housing support have the safety, security and dignity of a home – close to their place of work, transport and services. This project is a great example of all those things.”
Quotes attributable to Housing First CEO Haleh Homaei
“If it takes a village to raise a family, then it takes Commonwealth, State and local government to truly raise the thousands of community homes Australia will need over coming decades.”