Portable housing units being constructed for rough sleepers in Preston

CONSTRUCTION has begun in Preston on six portable homes for rough sleepers waiting on permanent accommodation — the first of 30 to be rolled out in a $10 million program.

Work has begun on six new modular homes which will provide emergency housing relief for the homeless in Preston. Picture: Ian Currie

• More public housing for Preston
• Radical plan to get homeless off streets
• Housing estate plan tests limits

PEOPLE sleeping rough in Preston will get some relief with the construction of six new modular homes — the first of 30 to be rolled out in a $10 million State Government program.

Leader visited the Preston site last week and observed workers erecting six temporary structures that will house homeless people while they wait for permanent accommodation. The homes, fast-tracked by the State Government to deal with the homelessness crisis, are among 30 to be built at five locations in the next six months.

Each location will have 24-hour on-site support services on hand.

Thirty portable homes will be built around Melbourne over the next six months, including in Preston. Picture: Ian Currie

Housing Minister Martin Foley said the program was “a genuine effort to resolve chronic homelessness and prolonged rough sleeping”.

“This is a new approach that will deliver transitional housing and individual support to people who need it most,” he said.

“It will make sure people are supported as they make the journey back to stable housing, improve their health and wellbeing, and reconnect with family and community.”

Victorian Public Tenants Association spokesman Raoul Wainwright said the units were “a fantastic idea”.

“It’s a stopgap measure by definition, no doubt, but we think it is a worthwhile investment of money,” he said.

Mr Wainwright said the presence of permanent support services would be crucial to the success of the units.

“We want to make sure the people who go into this housing are able to sustain long term tenancy,” he said.

“It’s important there’s a transition between rough sleeping and being homeless, and then maintaining a tenancy in the public rental market or further down the track in the private rental market.”

Last month the government announced eight run-down public housing estates would be redeveloped in public-private partnerships with a minimum 10 per cent increase in total public housing units.

Twenty six dwellings in Oakover Rd, Preston and 87 dwellings in Walker St, Northcote would be torn down and rebuilt.

The former Huttonham Estate in Preston will be rebuilt with 68 new units, while vacant land in Miller St, Preston would be developed for an unknown number of units.

Fairfax Media reported this month that some of the public housing sites could be home to private developments of up to 20 storeys.