Construction is set to begin on a controversial 97-apartment social housing project at 51A Douglas Street, Noble Park.
On 10 June, Housing Minister Harriet Shing and Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams announced building works will start in coming weeks at the site just metres from Noble Park railway station.
The first residents are expected to move into the five-storey building, including six ground-floor retail outlets, by late 2026.
“This development will provide nearly 100 households on our social housing register with bright, modern, secure and well-connected homes that they can be proud of,” Shing said.
Williams said the Level Crossing Removal Program had unlocked the space for “much-needed homes, close to transport and community precincts”.
The housing project will be funded 50:50 by the Victorian and Federal governments in partnership with developer Cedar Woods and community housing not-for-profit Housing First.
The building will provide 61 single bedroom apartments and 32 two-bedroom apartments, with one bathroom for each apartment.
Apartment sizes will vary, but will range from 53 square metres for a 1-bedroom apartment and 75 square metres for a 2-bedroom apartment.
There is a parking shortfall, with just 49 on-site car spaces for residents, serving a little over half of the building’s apartments.
A Housing First spokesperson however noted that the building will be close to public transport.
In line with the project’s stated goal as low-cost, affordable housing, most residents will be those “most in need for housing”, the spokesperson said.
“The residents will be selected from the Victorian Housing Register (VHR) – colloquially known as the Waiting List – which is managed by the Victorian State Government.
“The majority of residents will be selected from the Priority Access cohort – those most in need of housing.
“In broad terms this might be people who: are homeless and receiving support; are escaping or have escaped family violence; with a disability or significant support needs; or who need to move for health reasons. The balance will be from the Register of Interest.”
Rents paid by tenants will be tied to their income.
They will pay up to 30 per cent of gross household income plus any Commonwealth Rental Assistance entitlement, or 74.99 per cent of market rent – whichever is the lower amount.
“All residents will pay significantly lower rent than rents for similar dwellings in the private rental market.”
Community Housing Industry Association Victoria’s (CHIA Vic) chief executive Sarah Toohey said the Suburban Rail Loop also presented a similar opportunity to provide more social housing.
“Turning extra space from the Victorian government’s Level Crossing Removal Program into dozens of social homes is exactly the kind of project we need more of.”
She said a social and affordable housing target was the “missing multiplier” to major infrastructure projects.
“To meet growing demand, the state government should ensure 16.5 per cent of homes built through major projects — from the Suburban Rail Loop to Activity Centres — are social and affordable housing.
“To build our way out of the housing crisis, we need more than just additional homes in the right locations – we need to make sure enough of these homes are affordable for those who need them most.”
HousingFirst received funding from both the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments to acquire the building and manage the tenancies.
The Commonwealth funding is through the first round of the Housing Australia Future Fund Facility and the National Housing Accord Facility while the Victorian funding is through the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the Big Housing Build.
Recently, protestors decried the felling of a towering 20-metre tall Red Gum tree, which had stood for more than 80 years on the edge of the development site at Douglas Street.
Greater Dandenong Council, with the aid of a $155,000 developer payment, has committed to plant 180 trees in the Noble Park area to offset the impact of the felling of the Red Gum.
