Yarra Council call for more public housing near Richmond safe injecting room

Two inner city councils are pushing for a huge increase in affordable housing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what’s planned.

Yarra Council seek state government approval to make the social housing project earmarked for 147 – 161 Elizabeth Street in Richmond entirely public housing. Picture: Google Maps

Yarra Council will call on the state government to make a social housing project near Richmond’s controversial safe injecting room 100 per cent public housing.

The 147-161 Elizabeth St development, opposite a densely packed Richmond public housing complex that is home to 5000 residents, will be fast-tracked as part of the state government’s $5.3 billion investment into public and community housing.

Yarra Mayor Gabrielle de Vietri will ask Planning Minister Richard Wynne to endorse the plan.

The council will also push for the introduction of an inclusionary zone that would ensure all new developments included up to 20 per cent social or affordable housing.

Street view of the 147 – 161 Elizabeth Street site which will be fast tracked into housing. Picture: Google Maps

Yarra Council came under fire in September when almost half of the available car parks were removed to make way for an upgraded bike bath, forcing Elizabeth St residents to leave their cars near the controversial safe injecting room.

The City of Melbourne will decide this week if the municipality should dedicate up to 25 per cent of all new residential buildings to affordable housing.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the city lacks affordable housing.

“Building more affordable housing gives people a safe and stable place to live and provides benefits for our business community.

“Independent analysis shows that Melbourne had a shortfall of at least 5500 affordable rental homes in 2019,” the Lord Mayor said.

“It’s expected that the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to an even greater demand for affordable homes in the short term.”

The proposal will be considered on Tuesday, December 8 by the council and will include one site to lease and develop an affordable housing project.

Community Housing Limited (CHL) managing director Steve Bevington said COVID-19 has been the push Victoria needed to increase housing for vulnerable groups.

“Housing affordability is not a low-income problem, it’s everyone’s problem. There are more than 116,000 people estimated to be homeless in Australia, that is enough to fill all the seats at the MCG plus 21,000 more.” he said.

“I’m dumbfounded that governments for decades said (being homeless) was something that happened and now have resolved it, but it took a pandemic to do it.

“What we have said all of these years that this can be achieved, funded and resolved has been proved in a month or two.”