Hunter based community housing provider, Compass Housing and a range of local builders and contractors have worked together to deliver the single largest social and affordable housing project ever in the Hunter and Central Coast.
A total of 493 new homes across 19 sites have been built as part of the NSW Government’s $1.1 billion Social and Affordable Housing (SAHF) program. The dwellings are now home to people who have been struggling to get into the private rental market.
Compass Housing Chief Corporate Services Officer, Lyndall Robertshaw said with good old Hunter expertise, everyone had worked together to complete the project in just over two years despite the challenges of a COVID pandemic.
Local builders involved in the project included North Construction & Building, Graph Building, Kingston Building, Mars Building, Mavid Construction, and Hunter Coast Homes.
Other local businesses to benefit included CKDS Architects, EJE Architecture, ELK Design, Holdsworth Design as well as local trade vendors and subcontractors.
“This project shows what is possible when governments leverage the know-how and capacity of the community housing sector and private sector,” Lyndall said.
Minister for Families, Communities, and Disability Services, Alister Henskens and Minister for Water, Property and Housing, Melinda Pavey visited a 50 apartment complex in Adamstown this month, just after tenants had moved in. It was one of the last sites to be completed.
The ministers said the program will reduce housing stress and connect people in need with services and supports. They said the SAHF has provided a boost to the local economy.
“The Adamstown complex not only provides a range of accommodation options for vulnerable people but links them to vital services to improve their health and general wellbeing,” Alister said.
“Compass Housing will assist residents with tailored supports, boosting their social inclusion, economic participation and community cohesion,” Melinda said.
“The dwellings delivered by Compass through the SAHF have provided a strong pipeline of new homes in the Hunter, creating jobs for local tradies and others.”
The 14 Hunter projects are in Adamstown, Belmont, Cardiff, Glendale, Mayfield, Morisset, Teralba, Thornton, Wickham, and Wallsend. Compass will now manage the properties and provide tenant support.
IMAGE | Minister Pavey, Minister Henskens and Compass Housing’s Lyndall Robertshaw on the roof of the Adamstown apartments.