Community housing for Parkville Gardens

A new 16-storey community housing building is now in the pipeline for a vacant lot in Parkville Gardens.

The property, on Galada Avenue, is currently occupied by a café and sales suite for a previously planned building by developer Frasers Property.

But plans for the site have been revised to build 151 community housing apartments, owned and managed by Housing First.

Site investigations are underway with construction anticipated to begin from June/July, subject to planning approval by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).

The apartments will be a mix of one and two bedrooms, all with balconies, with 112 car parking spaces and 174 bicycle parking spots, if the plans are approved.

Funding for 86 of the 151 apartments was secured through the Victorian government’s “Social Housing Growth Fund”, announced in May 2020 by Minister for Housing Richard Wynne.

Housing First chief executive officer Haleh Homaei said the apartments had been specially designed for those living with a disability, and for older residents.

“Building well-designed, contemporary, quality homes where people can live safely, with dignity, in a vibrant neighbourhood, at rents they can afford brings relief not just to them but the whole community,” she said. 

“Housing First’s established working relationship with Parkville Gardens’ joint venture partners - Frasers Property Australia, Citta Property Group, and Development Victoria - makes our project an easy fit, ensuring we can deliver a social housing development that is top-quality, beautiful, and perfectly integrated into the surrounding amenity of the area.”

“As well as great design, high-quality construction and good tenancy management, the key to our success is supporting our tenants by building resilient communities that are cohesive and connected. Our community development and place-making initiatives provide that extra dimension to all our developments and surrounding communities.” 

A Housing First housing services delivery office will be located onsite.

Housing First already owns and manages 82 existing apartments and townhouses across Parkville Gardens.

The development will also include 152 sqm of community development activity space for tenant and local community use.

It is expected to be completed in 2023.

The development is part of Stage 9 of the 20-hectare, 1600-dwelling redevelopment of the 2006 Commonwealth Games Village site, a joint venture between the Citta Property Group and Frasers Property, enabled by Development Victoria, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Office of Commonwealth Games Coordination.