$3.74 million delivers meets housing need in Drouin

A $3.74 million community housing project will deliver 16 homes in Drouin to help meet a desperate need for supported accommodation.

The State Government’s Big Housing Build program will see $740 million invested in 89 community housing projects across regional and metropolitan areas.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said the Drouin project would be delivered in partnership with The Haven Foundation.

The state government is investing $3.74 million to build 16 homes in Drouin, providing accommodation and support services for disadvantaged people living with long-term mental illhealth,

Another $1.15 million will go towards delivering four homes in Morwell in partnership with Aboriginal Housing Victoria; and $827,345 will go towards three homes in Morwell in partnership with Community Housing (Vic) Ltd.

Ms Shing said the projects were planned to begin by the end of the year, delivering 2352 homes across the state and creating more than 9000 jobs.

She said the homes would be made available to those most in need of housing including people living with mental illness or disability, people escaping family violence, indigenous people and individuals experiencing homelessness.

“These Big Housing Build projects are a really important part of providing more modern, comfortable and secure homes for those who need them across West Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley, with construction to get underway this year.

“These projects will create 48 building and construction jobs in West Gippsland, and 24 jobs in the Latrobe Valley – and they’re part of a pipeline of more than $85 million in public and social housing projects for Gippsland,” she said.

Housing Minister Richard Wynne said the investment was not only providing a roof over the head of vulnerable people who needed it, but it also was creating thousands of jobs and supporting the economy.

“This is so much more than a construction project – it’s a safe place to call home, training and apprenticeship opportunities and thousands of local jobs,” he said.