Victoria will deliver a $5.3 billion Big Housing Build package to construct more than 12,000 new social housing homes throughout metro and regional Victoria over the next four years, supercharging Victoria’s economic recovery through the pandemic and beyond.

This package will boost Victoria’s social housing supply by 10 per cent in just four years – providing a stable foundation for thousands of Victorians to build their lives.

The investment will deliver 9,300 new social housing homes – including replacing 1,100 old public housing units. This investment will help Aboriginal Victorians, pensioners, Victorians with disability, family violence victims and single parent families find their feet.

“This will change lives – giving thousands of Victorians the security and stability of a home, and tens of thousands of Victorians a job,” says Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

“It’s a profound investment in a stronger, fairer Victoria – a Victoria that recognises everyone deserves a place to call home.”

Of these new homes, 2,000 will be for Victorians living with mental illness. A further 2,900 new affordable and low-cost homes will be built to help low-to-moderate income earners live closer to where they work and provide options for private rental.

The program will deliver secure, modern, and affordable homes throughout Victoria – with 25 per cent of funding to be allocated to regional Victoria.

Sustainability is at the core of this development, with the new homes meeting 7-star energy efficiency standards, making them more comfortable during summer and winter, and saving tenants on their power bills.

The unprecedented investment will boost Victoria’s economic recovery, generating an estimated $6.7 billion in economic activity and supporting a peak of more than 18,000 jobs – with 10 per cent of the work on major projects to be done by apprentices, cadets and trainees.

Hundreds of new jobs will be created for women, Aboriginal Victorians, people with disability, social housing tenants and people from diverse backgrounds through social procurement targets.

A new Government agency, Homes Victoria, has been established to work across government, industry and the social housing sector to deliver this record housing growth and to manage existing public housing.

Combined with new housing from existing investments such as the Public Housing Renewal Program and Social Housing Growth Fund, construction of more than 15,800 new homes will begin over the next four years.

“This unprecedented housing blitz will deliver new homes and jobs across Melbourne and regional Victoria,” says Minister for Housing Richard Wynne.

“We’re delivering the biggest investment in social housing Victoria has ever seen – we’re not just investing in bricks and mortar, but the lives of Victorians for decades to come.”

Lead photo by Tom Rumble.