Peppercorn rent at centre of landmark deal for Melbourne homeless units

THIS is the radical $5 million plan to get the homeless off Melbourne city streets. It involves a generous donation and public land on the CBD fringe.

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PORTABLE houses will be placed on public land in Melbourne’s west under a radical $5 million plan to get homeless people off the streets.

VicRoads will lease nine vacant blocks in Maribyrnong and Maidstone to Launch Housing for just $1 a year in the landmark deal.

It see 57 one-bedroom units positioned on the sites for five years.

A $4 million donation from Flight Centre founder Geoff Harris, and his son Brad, will fund the lion’s share of the program.

A vacant Footscray property that will have housing units installed. Picture: Supplied

An artist’s impression of the homes. Picture: Supplied

Brad Harris said homelessness was the number one issue Melbourne needed to deal with.

The latest count showed 247 people sleeping on city streets — a 74 per cent surge over two years.

“I’d never heard of anything like this but I think it ticks all the boxes in terms of solving the issue,” Mr Harris said.

“They are mini-communities of three to nine dwellings.

“There is a benefit to neighbours and the community in that it’s not like a housing commission scenario where there are 300 units in a block.”

Residents will rent the units for either a portion of their income or about 30 per cent of their Newstart or government allowances.

A business man sits in the sunshine at Enterprize Park, along the Yarra, where homeless have set up camp. Picture: Nicole Garmston

The scene outside Flinders Street Station last week. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Flinders Street Station. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Swanston Street. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Elizabeth Street. Picure: Yuri Kouzmin

The architecturally-designed homes each have a bedroom, living area, bathroom and kitchen with stone benchtops.

They each cost about $80,000 and can be moved if VicRoads reclaims its land when the five-year lease expires.

Launch Housing’s Heather Holst said the units were a “good start” to tackling the growing homelessness issue.

“It is a big crisis, as people can see with street homelessness,” Ms Holst said.

“We have seen the removal of low-end accommodation which is contributing to the issue.

“We need more of it but this is a good start. It’s really hard to have a good life without solid housing.”

The units are expected to be ready by mid-to-late 2017.

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@moniquehore