Works are well under way on a new social housing development in Shepparton that will provide housing for people who need it most over the age of 55.
The development is part of $37.5 million already being invested in social housing in the Shepparton area by the Victorian Government, which will create more than 130 homes.
The facility is set for completion in October, and Victorian Housing Minister Danny Pearson visited the site on Wednesday, July 20 to view its progress.
“We are serious about creating more social housing for those most in need,” Mr Pearson said.
It is one of several projects to be delivered in partnership with community housing organisations, aimed at addressing the critical need for more housing across regional Victoria as well as creating more than 250 jobs.
This development, in partnership with Wintringham, is scheduled to be completed later this year and will include 28 new one-bedroom homes for people over the age of 55. The site will also be home to 20 residential aged care homes.
More than 2000 households are on the waiting list for social and affordable housing in the Shepparton district.
“It's about working with council, with the local community, with Homes Victoria to identify how we tackle this and address this,” Mr Pearson said.
“For really complicated problems like homelessness, you need to try and develop a number of different tactics and strategies and working together in partnerships.”
In addition to this development, other projects delivered through the $37.5 million investment include a new 16-dwelling development in Mooroopna that will provide supported housing for people living with a mental illness.
The Victorian Government said the Big Housing Build was delivering much-needed housing across Shepparton, providing safe and secure homes to those who need it most on the Victorian Housing Register.
The historic $5.3 billion Big Housing Build is delivering more than 12,000 new homes — boosting Victoria’s social housing supply by 10 per cent — while generating 10,000 jobs each year over the four-year program.
The Big Housing Build is investing $1.25 billion in regional areas — including a minimum investment guarantee of $45 million for Greater Shepparton — ensuring the economic and social benefits of the program are felt in communities across the state.