Geelong’s social housing shortage hits ‘crisis point’ as councils and private developers find new sites

With the Geelong region not meeting demand for social housing, stakeholders are investigating new sites for developments. SEE THE MAP

Pitard Group's plans for a social housing development at 23-25 Myers St, Geelong, one of many private and council-led efforts to combat a growing need. .

Geelong’s social housing shortage has been described as hitting “crisis point” as private developers and councils identify sites for new developments.

Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan said the shortage of social and affordable housing in Geelong was a growing issue.

He said the region needed 13,500 extra social housing dwellings over 20 years to meet demand.

“Less than one per cent of rental properties in Geelong are now affordable for very low income households, and only 15.5 per cent are affordable to rent for low income households,” he said.

“There is no doubt we are reaching a crisis point.”

As of March there were 58,459 applications for social housing in Victoria.

Geelong council plans to seek a Registered Housing Association to partner in developing social housing on council-owned land in Corio.

Community feedback is being considered for social housing in Belmont and Bell Post Hill.

A minimum of five per cent social and affordable housing will a requirement for development at the former Geelong Saleyards and 72 of 400 homes to be built at the planned Commonwealth Games village site in Waurn Ponds will be social housing.

Additional social and affordable housing projects in the region include:

PITARD Group revealed plans in December for an 11-storey apartment complex in Myers Street;

AN 18-house block at Ormond Rd, East Geelong has been demolished and will be replaced by 54 new dwellings; and,

WORK began in February on Unison Housing’s 77-apartment project in Newtown.

Premier Jacinta Allan announcing at a Future Geelong event in March that up to 400 new homes, including 72 social houses, will be built in Waurn Ponds on the site where the Commonwealth Games’ athletes’ village was meant to be. Picture: Alan Barber

Mr Sullivan said reaching a target of 13,500 houses would be a challenge.

“We have been negotiating for inclusion of social housing in privately-owned residential developments, and have so far reached in principle agreements with three developers,” he said.

A Golden Plains Shire Council spokesman said a $4m project on Pope St, Bannockburn would create 34 jobs and included 10 homes under construction.

“The recently approved council-led rezoning and subdivision at 132 Milton Street in Bannockburn also provides for a minimum of six per cent of dwellings to be allocated for social housing,” he said.

The spokesman said the council was working to ensure rezoning applications contained requirements for a percentage of a development site to be social and affordable housing.

Social housing flats in Tate Street, East Geelong being demolished in September to make way for a new social housing development. Picture: Alan Barber

Surf Coast Shire recently endorsed a concept design for affordable housing at Aireys Inlet.

Surf Coast council general manager of place making and environment Chris Pike said there were fewer than 100 social housing dwellings across the shire.

He said council recognised the lack of affordable accommodation created social and economic impacts, leading to a Affordable Accommodation Action Plan (AAAP).

“The AAAP makes a commitment to explore the suitability of council-owned sites for the development of social and affordable housing,” he said.

A Homes Victoria spokeswoman said more than 7000 households moved into social housing last financial year.

“As part of the $5.3bn Big Housing Build we are investing $1.25bn to develop social and affordable housing in rural and regional Victoria,” she said.

“We are also getting on with delivering the $1bn Regional Housing Fund which will provide more than 1300 social and affordable housing homes across regional Victoria.”

Originally published as Geelong’s social housing shortage hits ‘crisis point’ as councils and private developers find new sites