Planning authorities approve multigenerational social housing development
MELBOURNE: A new social housing development has been given the green light, enabling 26 two-storey townhouses to be built.
The development application from the state’s statutory housing authority, Homes Tasmania, has been approved by the Kingborough Council, with the project to provide a mix of social and affordable housing for people on low-to-moderate incomes.
Housing and Planning Minister Kerry Vincent said the homes would be “high quality”, energy-efficient, and built in accordance with national liveability standards.
“Good housing is about more than four walls and a roof. These homes will be designed to support comfortable, accessible and connected living,” he said.
Social housing provided by the state government typically offers rents set at about 25 per cent of a tenant’s income.
The development will be located at 47 Summerleas Rd and Homes Tasmania says the dwellings will cater to people of all ages and abilities, while also being adaptable to different stages of life.
Forty-nine on-site carparking spaces will be built as part of the project, as well as landscaped communal areas and a connection to the nearby Whitewater Creek Track.
The government has set a target of delivering 10,000 new social and affordable homes by 2032.
According to Homes Tasmania, the halfway point of this $1.5bn goal was reached in July, with 5071 households “now having achieved a housing outcome since October 2020”.
A review into Homes Tasmania, completed by KPMG in March, found there was no “agreed and widely accepted definition” of what should count towards the target, noting that net new supply wasn’t always the sole contributor.