Building better lives

Residents Brayden Shafiq and Aaliyah Mouat with Elijah Shafiq.

In late 2020, we saw the opening of eight new social housing units in Lobb Street, Bendigo.

Purposely developed to provide vulnerable young people with long term housing solutions, the two-bedroom units were built following a 2018 announcement of $2.7 million from the Victorian Property Fund.

Partnering with the Victorian State Government, we have invested the money into 16 units, eight of which are being built in Flora Hill.

As part of the 2020-21 Victorian Budget, the state government have committed $5.3 billion investment in social and affordable housing and we welcome the opportunity to be a key partner in delivering a number of housing solutions across the state. There is a significant demand for housing for young people in the Bendigo area and we see this project as a step forward in bridging the housing gap.

Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said the units in North Bendigo were about more than just housing.

"This is also about giving young people the opportunity to go on and build a better life,”

For many young people in the area, homelessness is a very real and terrifying threat. This development has allowed a number of young people and their families the opportunity to access permanent housing.

The Lobb Street Project is part of a total of $85 million of the state's social housing spend flowed into the Bendigo area. The Macedon Ranges are expected to get $30 million.