Social housing for the central west

Posted

April 23, 2013 07:50:32

After a two year wait, a community group’s got approval to move forward with plans to build affordable housing in the central west.

Housing Plus has been waiting since 2010 for the State Government to transfer the titles of a number properties in Mudgee, Orange and Bathurst.

Its chief executive, Karen Andrew, says the group is finalising discussions around the construction of 21 units of affordable housing in Orange and 11 in Bathurst.

She says units will also be built in Mudgee.

“So we’ve bought some land in Mudgee and we’ve got a DA on that land and waiting for construction certificate any day now.

“So we’re hoping, well we know, that we’ll be able to start our construction of 21 units in Mudgee as early as June.”

Ms Andrew says the housing will help low-income earners struggling with rising rental prices.

“People that are in the workforce generally take a backseat to the people who are unemployed.

“We actually have a number of people already in social housing that we’re hoping we’ll be able to transition into affordable housing, thus creating a pathway for those people who are on centrelink benefits to get into social housing.”

She says the collapse of St Hilliers Construction Company held up a recent housing project in Orange, but the group is confident work will go smoothly.

“I think what the community sector is good at is learning by the mistakes of Government.

“We’ve put in a very, very thorough due diligence program around identifying who our construction company was going to be and also who our financier.

“It’s critical to us that this is a success and we’ve had plenty of time, two years in fact, to make sure that we’ve got it right.”

Topics:
housing,
government-and-politics,
community-and-society,
mudgee-2850,
orange-2800,
bathurst-2795

Source Article from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-23/new-housing/4645228

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