Another dodgy St Kilda boarding house set to be shut down

A THIRD St Kilda boarding house whose troubled tenants are wreaking havoc will be cleaned up. It will be the latest in a series of flophouse shutdowns, which started with closure of the notorious Gatwick Hotel in 2016.

ANOTHER St Kilda rooming house with a sketchy reputation among neighbours and police will be cleaned up.

The State Government yesterday announced the Beach House, on Little Grey St, would be turned into 22 self-contained units.

Port Phillip Inspector Jason Kelly said police had spent considerable resources dealing with problem Beach House tenants, including evicting some.

The Beach House is on Little Grey St St Kilda, which was also home to the troubled Regal Hotel. Picture: Penny Stephens

Like its dodgy predecessors, the Beach House currently has shared bathrooms, kitchen and laundry facilities, which became hubs for fights, drug deals and other problems.

Little Grey St is also home to the notorious Regal rooming house, which is going through a similar revamp following reports in the Leader about neighbours’ daily exposure to drug use and dealing, prostitution and violence by tenants.

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The $1.5 million redevelopment is a joint venture between the State Government and St Kilda Community Housing.

Housing Minister and Albert Park state Labor MP Martin Foley said the upgrade was part of a suite of measures aimed at tackling the homelessness scourge, including boosts to early intervention and outreach programs.

“We’re also ensuring the accommodation we provide is modern, safe and better suited to the needs of residents who just want a safe place to say,” he said.

St Kilda Community Housing chief executive Shane Austin said the organisation was working to find the current tenants new homes in the lead up to work beginning.

“Our goal is to increase safe and secure housing opportunities for low income and at-risk singles in St Kilda by expanding the supply of quality affordable community housing,” he said.

Work on the Beach House refurbishment is expected to start next year and be finished in 2020.

Nearby Sacred Heart Mission will also be given more than $4.5 million, in partnership with VincentCare Victoria and The Salvation Army Adult Services, for a supportive housing team who will work to keep people who had previously experienced homelessness in their new accommodation and enhance their social connections.

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