Community saves day for single dad

JAMIE Felsch’s life has turned around since moving into one of Victoria’s newest affordable housing developments.

The 38-year-old single father of three is one of 52 affordable housing tenants who will call the Baptcare Norlane Integrated Community home, with the development officially opening today.

“I’ve been in there for just over a month now,” Mr Felsch said.

“They’ve just turned my life around and it’s all been positive since then.”

Mr Felsch, who has two children attending Nelson Park special school in Bell Park, said he was days away from relocating to NSW before being offered a three-bedroom property at BNIC.

“I was only like a week off that happening, and then I got the phone call from my case worker who helps me with my kids, she said she had paperwork for me to fill out for Baptcare housing,” he said.

“I filled that out and 45 minutes later I got a phone call saying to come in the next day for an interview, and I got given one of the houses and just had to wait two weeks to move in.

“It was the best news I could ever hear.”

The 52 units will provide housing for low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities, with 20 completed and tenanted, and the remaining expected to be finished by next year.

The development is part of the $43.5 million BNIC Project, of which $7.5 million was contributed by the Federal Government.