$37m social housing boon
ALMOST 100 homes for vulnerable Victorians will be built across the Geelong region backed by $27.9m from the state government.
Community housing providers will contribute about $10m to build the homes at 10 locations across Greater Geelong and the Surf Coast at a cost of about $37.59m.
The housing will be allocated to women fleeing family violence, Aboriginal people, people with mental illness and those who are homeless.
State Housing Minister Richard Wynne said the government wanted to give more people the certainty of a roof over their heads.
“We’re getting on with delivering our big housing build, giving more people the certainty of a roof over their head and the security of a job,” Mr Wynne said.
“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.”
Most projects are due to start by the end of the year.
Those in the region will include 26 houses at Belmont, costing $10m and delivered by Housing Choices Australia, 41 homes at Mt Duneed for women, costing $15m and managed by Women’s Housing, and 12 at Winchelsea, costing $4.9m and delivered by Women’s Housing.
Other projects included 10 homes at Grovedale costing more than $2m, to be managed by Aboriginal Housing Victoria and Common Equity Housing,
two homes at Geelong West, costing $941,956 and managed by Common Equity Housing, two at Norlane, costing $828,599 and delivered by Aboriginal Housing, and two at Newcomb delivered by Common Equity Housing.
A further $13m is allocated for social housing in regional Victoria but the locations of those homes are yet to be decided.
The Geelong region spend is part of a $1bn project that includes $700m from the state government to build community houses statewide.
As part of the project, 62 supported independent living homes will be built for those living with mental illness.
In July, the government completed a 16-room housing complex in Highton for people with a history of mental illness.