Construction begins on controversial Vinnies social housing project in North Hobart
‘Transformational’: After initially being knocked back by the Hobart council, construction has finally begun on the new apartments set to house vulnerable women in North Hobart.
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Work has finally begun on the controversial social housing project set to house vulnerable women over the age of 55.
The old Vinnies store has been cleaned out of the space at 210-218 Argyle St which will soon be demolished to make way for the 38 studio apartments in the five-story complex earmarked for older women at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
CEO of St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia Graham West said the apartments were an example of the type of housing that Hobart needs in order to address the growing homelessness crisis.
Construction on the studio apartments should be finished within 18-months.
Mr West said the apartments would be “transformational” for older women at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
He said the “safe security” would give vulnerable women the opportunity to change their life with the location close to essential services and the city with new opportunities for housing, employment, education and enjoyment for the residents.
The development was initially rejected by the Hobart City Council which led to the design being mediated, changed and eventually approved.
Vos Construction will build the apartments which are being developed in partnership by St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia and the St Vincent de Paul Society (Tasmania), supported by Homes Tasmania through the federal government’s social housing accelerator program (SHAP).
Federal member for Franklin Julie Collins said she was incredibly disappointed when the project was initially knocked back.
SHAP is providing more than $13 million to the project. Through SHAP, the federal government has invested $2 billion to build and refurbish 4,000 homes across Australia. $50 million was provided to Tasmania.
Ms Collins said the federal government wants to see housing developments getting up faster in Tasmania.
She was disappointed by the delays, saying the federal government gave the state $50 million under SHAP in June 2023 for the social housing project.
“Here we are now in 2025 and this project is only just getting underway,” Ms Collins said.
“When we are investing money in housing we need to see those homes delivered as quickly as possible.”
Tasmanian parliamentary secretary for housing and planning Simon Behrakis thanked St Vincent de Paul Housing Australia for the hard work and dedication put in to getting the “life-changing” development out of the ground.
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Originally published as Construction begins on controversial Vinnies social housing project in North Hobart
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