Community housing in the heart of Preston
Published on 26 July 2022
A new community housing project will provide 39 well-designed, energy-efficient homes for people in the heart of Preston.
This week we helped celebrate a new community housing project that will provide 39 well-designed, energy-efficient new homes for people in the heart of Preston.
Being delivered by Housing Choices Australia as part of the Victorian Government’s Big Housing Build, Council is supporting the project by providing the land at Townhall Avenue Preston, on a 50-year lease. The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund are also donating $1 million to help make it happen.
Mayor Lina Messina was delighted to mark the ground floor pour at the former carpark site with Housing Choices Australia Chief Operating Officer Roberta Buchanan, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation CEO Catherine Brown and Manresa Construction representatives.
Cr Messina said Council was proud to support the project through the lease, which activates currently under-utilised land to provide much needed, well-located social housing, while still providing public car parking for the local community.
“Council is pleased to support this project to provide social housing in the heart of Preston,” Cr Messina said.
“Our Council Plan 2021-25 commits to facilitating more affordable, social and public housing in Darebin to meet our community’s needs, and this puts that commitment into action.”
The one and two-bedroom apartments will provide safe, affordable housing close to Preston Library, the bustling High Street retail precinct and train station, as well as proximity to work, health and education opportunities and services.
Energy costs for tenants will be kept down, with apartments designed to Livable Housing Australia Silver Level, 5 Star Green Star and 7 Star NatHERS standards.