Victoria Minister for Housing Wendy Lovell

Simon Ramsay Western Victoria MLC

New Housing Help For Ballarat’s Young People

Victor P Taffa

Member for Western Victoria Simon Ramsay has praised new affordable housing in Gillies Street, Wendouree as an important first step in providing much-needed services for local young people.

Mr. Ramsay officially opened “Karrung” today, representing Housing Minister Wendy Lovell.

The new development has 18 self-contained one and two-bedroom units and includes communal living, training and office spaces as well as staff accommodation.

Based on the successful British “Foyer” model, the new homes provide an integrated learning and accommodation service for young people aged 16 to 25 who are undertaking study or work and who may be experiencing or at risk of homelessness and disadvantage.

The service will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will be managed by UnitingCare Ballarat with support from UnitingCare Housing Victoria; Ballarat Community Health; Finding Futures; Ballarat Secondary College; the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development; the City of Ballarat; and Rotary Ballarat.

“Decreasing housing affordability and the limited supply of private rental properties are placing a significant number of Victorians under housing stress or the threat of possible homelessness. This issue has been made even more challenging by the recent tragic floods that have affected so many.” Mr. Ramsay said.

“Without a home it is incredibly difficult to keep a job, pursue education and training, maintain physical and mental health or get access to important community services.”

“People between 12 and 25 years are the single largest group assisted by Victoria’s homelessness service system and that’s why, if a young person is at risk of homelessness and really wants to make something of their lives, a youth foyer service can really help.” Mr. Ramsay said.

The development at Gillies Street is the result of a partnership between the Australian and Victorian governments. The capital cost of the project of $3.95 Million was met through the Federal Government’s Nation Building Social Housing Initiative. Ongoing funding for support services is being provided by the Australian and Victorian Governments through the National Partnership Agreement – Homelessness.

The six-star energy rated development includes environmentally friendly design features such as rain water capture and was built from a mixture of natural and sustainable materials. The name “Karrung” means my place, hut, home or camp in the local Wada wurrung language.

“The service will provide local young people with supported living arrangements for up to two years while teaching them important living skills such as how to cook, manage bills, seek and present for employment.” Mr. Ramsay said.

Simon Ramsay Western Victoria MLC

Victoria Minister for Housing Wendy Lovell

David Southwick Caulfield MLA

More Affordable Homes For St. Kilda

Victor P Taffa

Member for Caulfield David Southwick today officially opened new affordable housing in St. Kilda for people who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Mr. Southwick, representing Housing Minister Wendy Lovell, joined representatives from the City of Port Phillip, St Kilda Community Housing and tenants at the new property in Grey Street which has been transformed from a 20-room shared facility rooming house into 34 self-contained apartments that will provide long-term housing for single people.

It will be managed by St. Kilda Community Housing, a not-for-profit community housing agency.

“The redevelopment and construction work at Grey Street is the result of a partnership between the Victorian and Commonwealth governments and St Kilda Community Housing.” Mr. Southwick said.

“The new homes are well located, within walking distance of a supermarket, parks and leisure facilities, community centres and public transport. It’s a chance to make a real difference to the lives of some of the area’s most disadvantaged people.”

The Grey Street apartments have a six-star energy efficiency rating and include sustainable features such as a rain water capture system which uses run-off water in toilets and for the estate’s garden. The development also features solar panels to help with communal power, such as security lighting in the car park and garage and pumps for the water tank.

The $5.1 Million Project was funded through the Commonwealth Government’s Nation Building Social Housing Initiative.

De Jong Architects worked with a heritage adviser to ensure the heritage value of the existing Edwardian-style 1892 building was retained, with a particular focus on restoring the façade of the Grey Street building, including balconies and brick work.

St. Kilda Community Housing manages 12 rooming houses on behalf of the Office of Housing with a total of 187 tenancies.

Under the Nation Building new construction Program, $42.8 Million is being invested to deliver 224 new affordable homes in the City of Port Phillip, with 51 homes already completed.

“The Victorian Government is also undertaking a series of improvements to rooming houses across Victoria that will deliver 42 Redevelopments, conversions and upgrades at a cost of approximately $35 Million.” Mr. Southwick said.

David Southwick Caulfield MLA

 

Western Australia Minister for Housing Bill Marmion

Community Providers engaged to help stem Social Housing Waiting List

Victor P Taffa

The State Government has announced a significant new initiative to accelerate the growth of social housing in Western Australia by placing as many as 559 new dwellings with not-for-profit community housing providers in the coming half-year.

Consistent with agreements between the State and the Commonwealth, the ownership of a significant proportion of houses being built with economic stimulus funding will be offered to non-government community housing organisations able to demonstrate they can manage and grow large portfolios of rental housing.

Housing Minister Bill Marmion said the potential transfer of housing worth $169 Million to established community housing organisations was essential to help address the shortage of social housing.

“Traditionally the Department of Housing has managed the bulk of social housing.” Mr. Marmion said.

“However, with a growing waitlist of nearly 24,000 applications from people on low incomes and increasing pressure in the real estate market, we need to look to innovative solutions for building the stock of homes more rapidly.”

“There are a number of community housing organisations already registered with the Department of Housing and operating in WA and they have financial and other advantages not available to the department.”

“Once established, this system will give the participating providers equity with which to leverage capital borrowings for the construction of additional dwellings of their own.”

“Our end goal is to have a much greater pool of homes and a wider range of social housing options available to the growing number of people in the community in need.” Mr. Marmion said.

The Minister said the model was already operating successfully in New South Wales and Victoria.

Announcing a Request for Proposals (RFP) inviting qualified community housing organisations to submit proposals for assuming freehold title to 559 stimulus-funded dwelling units, Mr Marmion said the RFP contained comprehensive and stringent requirements.

Under formal Community Housing Agreements with providers, the State will retain a caveat over titles stipulating that homes can be let only to applicants on the social housing waitlist or from low income categories in the Affordable Housing and Commonwealth Rental Assistance programs.

As well as oversight of the dwelling allocations and lettings, the State will retain a veto over the titles preventing any sale or assignment without the Government’s permission.

“The key requirement for the transfer of title is that the successful organisation must use the assets to leverage additional housing and retain the housing in perpetuity for community purposes.” the Minister said.

“The aim is to unlock the equity in current housing assets to grow the overall pool.”

“This initiative has been trialled and operated successfully in other jurisdictions in Australia.”

“Increasing the capacity of the community sector to deliver services, including the community housing sector, is a key strategic direction of this Government.” Mr. Marmion said.

“The Department of Housing has registered six larger community housing ‘Growth Providers’ who already own or head lease 2,200 properties, and in recent years the department has been working to help these organisations scale up in terms of financial viability, asset management experience and outcomes for tenants.” Mr. Marmion said.

Dwellings included in the RFP process will be located in Metropolitan Perth, Northam, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Bunbury and Geraldton.

South Australia Shadow Minister for Housing Stephen Wade

700 extra families in public housing

Victor P Taffa

More than 700 South Australian families will be housed under an Isobel Redmond Government – no longer lingering on Housing SA’s waiting list.

Announcing the Liberals’ policy, Shadow Minister for Housing Stephen Wade said that through a reform of Housing SA, over 700 currently vacant public houses would be made available to families across the state.

“Housing SA is a mess – under the Rann Government almost 1700 properties stand empty.” Mr Wade said.

“Poor management of tenancies, properties and redevelopments mean that hundreds more houses sit vacant in South Australia than elsewhere in Australia.”

“Under the Rann Government, the number of vacant Housing SA properties has blown out to 4%, almost twice the vacancy rate of public housing authorities around Australia, which average a vacancy rate of just over 2%.

“In real terms, this means that almost 1700 homes are left vacant while thousands of South Australians remain on the Housing SA waiting list.”Mr. Wade said.

“If we brought our vacancy rate down just to the national average for public housing authorities around Australia, an additional 721 families could be given a home.”

“Under an Isobel Redmond Liberal Government, we will reform Housing SA by efficiently managing properties and tenants with a target of reducing vacancy rates to the national average.”

“The Liberal Party believes it is totally unacceptable for over 700 families who could otherwise be housed to be left waiting due to the Rann Government’s mismanagement of Housing SA.” Mr. Wade said.

The Liberal housing policy also includes:

• Enforcing a genuine “three strikes” policy for Housing SA tenants;

• Ensuring properly notified inspections proceed even in the absence of the tenant.

“The Rann Government has failed to manage social housing properly. South Australia needs results, not spin.”

Under the provisions of the relevant Electoral Act responsibility for all election comment is assumed by Editor Victor P Taffa. The Registered office of The Southern Thunderer is at 4/69a Darvall Road, West Ryde NSW 2114.