The Mitchell Shire is set to gain 16 new social housing homes following a State Government announcement on Friday.
The 16 homes will be built in Seymour, partnering with community housing provider The Haven Foundation.
The total cost of the project is $5.39 million, of which $3.77 million is from the State Government’s Big Housing Build fund.
Under the Big Housing Build, the government is set to invest a minimum of $25 million in the Mitchell Shire in coming years.
Mitchell was identified as one of 18 regional municipalities to invest in social housing due to its high population growth.
The government announced its first allocation of funds last week for community housing projects that will create thousands of new homes across Victoria.
Minister for Housing Richard Wynne said 89 projects would deliver 2352 new social homes for Victorians who needed them most.
The projects, worth more than $1 billion, are located across 38 local government areas and range from a 152-home development in Melbourne to several two-home developments in regional areas.
The investment includes $148 million for housing projects in regional Victoria, delivering 583 new social housing homes across 44 projects creating more than 1800 jobs.
As well as Mitchell Shire, homes will be built in municipalities of Ballarat, Baw Baw, Benalla, Corangamite, Glenelg, Bendigo, Geelong, Shepparton, Horsham, Latrobe, Moorabool, Southern Grampians, Surf Coast, Warrnambool and Wodonga.
The homes will be available to those in the most need – including people living with mental illness or disability, people escaping family violence, Indigenous people and individuals experiencing homelessness.
The government expects constuction to begin by the end of the year, with the new homes being delivered in partnership with 22 community housing agencies.
The projects include 62 new supported independent living homes for Victorians living with mental illness being built across four sites announced in June.
Mr Wynne said the new houses would give more people the certainty of a roof over their head and the security of a job.
“More than $1 billion in projects will start this year – delivering new housing and hope to thousands of Victorians,” he 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.”
