A Whittlesea council decision to lease a piece of vacant land in Wollert to a community housing organisation will aim to help address a significant and growing shortfall in affordable housing options.
The City of Whittlesea decided at its April meeting to seek expressions of interest for a community housing organisation to lease the land in Ashline Street, Wollert, for affordable housing.
Chair administrator Lydia Wilson said research showed 3400 affordable homes were urgently needed in the municipality.
“We know there is a critical shortage of local homes that are affordable for residents on low incomes and the shortfall is having devastating socio-economic impacts on families and households,” she said.
“One in five households in our municipality is classified as having a very low income and one in three households who are renting are experiencing housing stress, which is defined as spending 30 per cent or more of household income on rent.
“This number is continuing to grow as we see more and more local families and households struggling to make ends meet amidst rising costs of living and housing affordability challenges.
The decision to lease the land to a community housing provider for affordable housing was made after extensive community consultation dating back to 2021.
“During the consultation we heard community concern about issues like safety, amenity and impact on property value. We have considered the feedback from the local community carefully and we have reviewed our approach to ensure we are addressing these concerns whilst still delivering a boost of much-needed local affordable housing,” Ms Wilson said.
“These houses will be quality single detached, duplex and townhouse style homes that use similar design features and finishes to surrounding dwellings.
“This project will provide homes for specific cohorts of local people including young families, older peoples, women, key workers and people with disabilities.
“We will also be seeking to add a flexible community space on the site which will be managed by council and integrate with the adjacent Kirrip Community Centre.
“We are also adding in a library hub in the foyer at the Kirrip Community Centre, which will feature bookshelves, seating, a self-checkout kiosk and returns area with items such as books, DVDs and magazines available in a variety of languages.”
Ms Wilson said council had a commitment and obligation to encourage and support the supply of social and affordable housing.
“All levels of government including local councils play an important part in facilitating the delivery of high-quality affordable housing developments for households on very low to moderate incomes,” she said.
Council will write to all participants in the consultation process to advise them of council’s decision and next steps in the process, including explaining how council will continue to engage with residents in the further planning and development of the project.
Residents will be invited to provide feedback on draft plans and designs once a suitable Community Housing Organisation is selected.
To find out more about the project visit engage.whittlesea.vic.gov.au.
