Greater Shepparton City Council will advertise an intention to sell land on Parkside Dve in Shepparton to be used for low-cost housing.
At the council meeting on February 15, councillors considered a proposal put forward by Women’s Housing Ltd to acquire the land to build 45 dwellings on vacant land behind Bangerang Cultural Centre.
The development would border the existing residential area along Evergreen Way.
The housing would be developed specifically for low-income and at-risk women and their children.
WHL is the lead agency in Victoria in the provision of affordable housing for women, with some 600 properties in its property portfolio.
Cr Seema Abdulla said WHL was a credible organisation that focused on women and children escaping family violence.
“Our evidence suggests Shepparton has one of the highest domestic violence and homelessness rates in Victoria,” she said.
“We have more than 1000 households on the social housing register.”
Cr Abdullah said older women represented the highest bracket for homelessness in the region.
“All in all, I endorse in-principle support for the sale of the land,” she said.
Cr Sam Spinks said the approach was primarily about the sale of the land and a broad proposal rather than a final design.
She said social housing was needed because demand was so high and the council had to consider every proposal on its merit.
“There have been past attempts at social housing that have not gone well; we have learnt from that and we don’t want that to happen again,” Cr Spinks said, alluding to the social housing proposal over a council-owned car park in the central business district.
“Because of the size and complexity of the problem we have to consider them all.”
Cr Anthony Brophy said affordable housing supply was tight and the project would provide important accommodation, but he wasn’t yet convinced the project design aligned with the council’s Affordable Housing Strategy.
Cr Brophy was happy to support the potential sale of the land.
Cr Geoff Dobson said standard detached housing was a preferred development model under the strategy, but at the moment the council was only providing in-principal support to assist with a funding application and commencing the administrative process to sell the land.
“Is this the perfect solution? I don’t know, but I know there are 1000 families out there needing support and safe and secure housing,” he said.
Mayor Kim O’Keeffe clarified prior to the vote that the process would include public consultation.
The motion was carried unopposed.