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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-06-20 Daily Xml
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Community Housing

The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:53): My question is to the Minister for Human Services about community housing. Can the minister advise the chamber about the recent launch of community housing developments in the western suburbs?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for her question. I am delighted to provide some information to the house in relation to two launches that I have recently attended in the western suburbs to assist people into affordable and community housing.

In April this year, UnitingSA completed a project at Pennington, a subsidiary of their Portway Housing Association, which has transformed eight previously run-down Housing Trust properties into modern, two-storey townhouses. Rental prices for the three-bedroom properties will be capped at 75 per cent of market value and adds to Portway's range of affordable accommodation options in the community.

Honourable members would probably be familiar with Portway Housing, which is part of the UnitingSA organisation. It was established in 1984 and offers subsidised accommodation to those on low incomes, particularly focusing on a range of cohorts, including high-needs families and individuals, refugees, people with a mental illness, those aged over 65 and people under 25. They have approximately 360 properties in the western suburbs.

The Pennington project on Torrens Road submitted a registration of interest to Renewal SA in February 2016 and they now have eight attached concrete brick veneer townhouses. It took them a couple of years to complete those, because they were refurbishments. I also attended a Kidman Park project recently, which was on 15 June actually, so just last Friday. They actually demolished two properties at that site and have been able to develop those into six new townhouses, which they have done themselves.

Portway Housing is what is considered a tier 2 provider. Tier 1 providers are those that are much larger and meet particular criteria under the particular regulations. I think it goes to demonstrate what the opportunities are in the community sector with a multiprovider model, which the Liberal Party is very supportive of. Community housing providers have been successful, with a range of expressions of interest in small and medium-sized redevelopment projects, and the tier 2 organisations fit in very well with these particular developments.

The South Australian government is examining ways to extend these particular programs for the not-for-profit sector, because we are great believers in the community housing sector and the role that they play in the social and affordable housing space. We know that there needs to be a pipeline of opportunities developed to assist these programs to continue, and that includes long-term affordable finance. So I have been very pleased that the federal government has come on board, particularly the national Treasurer, Scott Morrison, who has developed the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation, which will assist the community housing providers to continue to provide new opportunities to assist people into affordable housing in South Australia.

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