New affordable rental unit project gets green light in Yarriambiack

The Easing Yarriambiack's Affordable Rental Housing Shortage project will construct 14 two-bedroom housing units for older residents across five of the shire's towns.

Six of the proposed new dwellings will be located in Warracknabeal and two each will be located in Hopetoun, Murtoa, Rupanyup and Woomelang.

Yarriambiack Shire Council mayor Kylie Zanker said the new units would help ease some of the area's housing stress.

"This is a fantastic outcome for our shire and communities. Rental housing is at a critically low level in all of the targeted towns and it is at a point where the provision of some community-based rental accommodation is considered essential infrastructure," she said.

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"This project will meet the twin objectives of retaining aging residents in our towns and freeing up existing larger dwellings for rental or sale to new residents."

In 2020, the Wimmera Development Associations completed a survey of the selected towns as part of an assessment of local housing availability.

The survey rated housing for sale and rent as major weaknesses for all five of the towns, compounded by the fact that houses for sale tended to be unsuitable without renovation or refurbishment.

Rental properties made up 19.3 per cent of the total dwelling stock in the five towns and 49 per cent of rental arrangements were informal, through family or personal connections rather than being available to the market.

Many employers reported difficulties in finding accommodation for employees, and there was an increasing number of workers commuting to Warracknabeal, Murtoa and Rupanyup in particular, for work as a direct consequence of unavailable local housing.

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Cr Zanker said the model adopted by the council to deliver on affordable housing was a proven success.

"Using a community not-for-profit enterprise approach to manage rental housing is a proven model for success in maximising local benefits via a structure in which the housing assets and land are owned by Council and operated and managed by the local incorporated committees," she said.

"Existing Asset Management Committees in Murtoa and Woomelang have successfully operated a portfolio of seven units for many years. The relationship between Council and its communities has been strengthened by these partnerships in providing housing as infrastructure and a community service.

"The Yarriambiack and wider Wimmera-Mallee region will benefit from construction and trade suppliers, with the Council committing to utilising local construction and trades where possible."

The construction of the units is expected to take 18 months to complete.

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