Social housing availability has become a pressing issue as more people face the very real reality of becoming homeless as the cost of living continues to spike.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hepburn Shire is not immune to this issue. As such, Hepburn Shire Council recently partnered with not-for-profit housing provider Community Housing Limited (CHL) to increase the number and quality of social housing dwellings in the region.
In April 2017 the council transferred the management of nine community housing properties in Trentham and Daylesford to the provider, while in October 2018, it transferred the management of six of Clunes’ Cameron Court units to CHL.
Additionally, the council provided $589,000 to CHL to construct four new purpose built double bedroom units to meet demand for housing for low income earners.
The partnership will see 19 dwellings set aside for community housing in the shire.
CHL State Manager Shari McPhail said the program would not only increase the supply of social and affordable housing in the shire, but would greatly improve the quality of life for residents who were struggling financially by providing them with opportunities.
As part of CHL’s management of the properties, tenants will be encouraged to reap the benefits of services that will connect them with employment, education and training opportunities.
“We are totally committed to serving the community, and we are really looking forward to working within the region and with the council. Not only will this project provide much needed housing options, but it will also contribute to the local economy with a host of employment opportunities both long and short term, expected to be generated.”
It is expected the properties will become available as housing options by the second half of 2019.
Chief Executive Officer of Hepburn Shire Council, Evan King, said he had recently had a discussion with a group of concerned community members around what the council could do to support low cost housing.
“Council’s role is not so much managing low cost housing, but to facilitate the provision of housing stock through access to land.”
Mr King said working with CHL meant looking at further opportunities like scrutinising availability and zoning of land for development across the shire. He said this would all be taken into consideration as the council undertakes its review of the Hepburn Planning Scheme.
“Council is very keen to look at homelessness and low cost housing. It might be that we start to look at the issue with working groups across the shire to work our way through because we don’t yet have a strategy or a plan as to how we would go about it,” he said. “The first thing is acknowledging that there is an issue and looking at how we might address it.”
