From the Minister for Housing

Thursday, 19 August 2010

Over 9,100 Victorian public housing properties have been upgraded under the $99.2 million Nation Building Repairs and Maintenance Program – almost double the original target.

Victorian Housing Minister Richard Wynne today announced that the Brumby Labor Government had continued to exceed expectations in the delivery of the Gillard Labor Government’s upgrade program.

“Through strong financial management and our partnership with the Gillard Labor Government, we are providing better and safer public and social housing for more Victorians than ever before,” Mr Wynne said.

“We believe vulnerable Victorians have a right to the same high standards of housing as the rest of the community and that’s why we have worked hard to upgrade 9,145 public and social housing properties under the $99.2 million Nation Building Repairs and Maintenance Program.

“This far exceeds the targeted 5,600 homes – an outstanding outcome for vulnerable Victorians.

“The repairs and maintenance program has allowed us to make significant improvements to our public and social housing properties and that will make a real difference to the safety, comfort and amenity for our tenants.

“This program has meant that some of our old and untenable homes have been repaired much quicker than without this funding and that means we have been able to offer more and better-quality homes to more people faster.

Mr Wynne made the announcement at a renovated rooming house in Church Street, Richmond – the site of one of the largest upgrades in the state, at an investment of $2.6 million.

The Church Street rooming house has been converted from a traditional rooming house with shared facilities into self-contained apartments that allow for private independent living.

A Church Street resident, Jason, said the transformation of his home had transformed his life.

“It is serene, beautifully comfortable and self-contained and it resembles a place you can call home and not be embarrassed to have friends or family visit here, which for me was the case previously,” Jason said.

Mr Wynne said people like Jason demonstrated why public and social housing was about much more than bricks and mortar.

“You can change people’s lives when you give them a home and when that home is comfortable, safe and secure, you can make an even bigger difference,” he said.

“Nation Building is the largest-ever investment in affordable rental housing in Victoria in decades and that’s good news for jobs in the building industry and good news for people needing an affordable home.

Community Housing Federation Victoria CEO Jacqui Watt said the Repairs and Maintenance Program was a great example of what community housing organisations could achieve in partnership with governments.

“It is vital that these kinds of developments are able to continue if we are to tackle the crisis in housing affordability,” Ms Watt said.  

Today’s announcement comes after Premier John Brumby last month announced that Victoria had delivered 746 new homes by 30 June this year, and was on track to deliver 4,500 homes by 2012, exceeding the Federal Government’s target of 572 homes by 174.