By Alesha Capone
This story made a big splash in Wyndham during October:
A $49.03 million plan to build 111 new social and affordable residential properties in Wyndham has been announced by the state government.
Minister for Housing Richard Wynne said last week that the government would invest almost $740 million in community housing across Victoria under its Big Housing Build, in partnership with private and philanthropic organisations.
The plan includes a proposal to construct 42 new homes in Truganina with agency Women’s Housing Limited, in a project worth $17.77 million.
There are two separate projects planned for Werribee, a $14.48 million site consisting of 34 homes and a $9.46 million site consisting of 18 homes.
Tarneit will get 17 homes under a $7.32 million initiative.
The exact addresses of the homes will not be revealed as some of the tenants will be family violence escapees.
Haven Home Safe (HHS), which owns and manages more than 3000 social affordable homes across Victoria, has partnered with the state government to deliver the Tarneit project and 34 homes in Werribee.
HHS will contribute $12 million towards the construction of these properties.
The non-profit’s chief executive Andrew Cairns said that the Tarneit site was already being constructed with an expected finish date of 2022.
Construction is expected to begin on the Werribee abodes before the end of the year.
Mr Cairns said both the developments would include a mix of “high-quality” two and three-bedroom townhomes.
He said the projects were expected to create up to 350 jobs, both directly and indirectly.
Mr Cairns said that in terms of demand for community housing, there were presently more than 1000 single people needing a one-bedroom home in Wyndham, plus more than 200 couples and 380 single parents needing a two-bedroom home across Tarneit and Werribee.
“As Melbourne moves west, there is a growing housing affordability crisis in the city of Wyndham with the median price of a two-bedroom home now at $420K and median rent at $320per week for a two-bedroom unit,” he said.
“Singles on JobSeeker earn $620 per fortnight.
“Even if two singles shared a two-bedroom unit, they would be spending about half their income on housing, leaving very little for cost of living expenses.”
