Work is under way on the $160 million redevelopment of the 1980s-built Mews public housing estate in Westmeadows.
Local dignitaries gathered in Westmeadows last week to celebrate the land transfer agreement between the state government and Hume council that has allowed the social housing project to go ahead.
Valley Park, as the development is now known, will have 110 social housing properties, 210 private homes and 34 independent living units.
Prior to the development there were 94 public housing properties.
The project is being jointly delivered by the state government and Australand, with Baptcare providing aged care.
Baptcare will also develop and manage a 90-bed aged-care centre on nearby government-owned land. A number of those beds will be made available to public housing tenants.
Baptcare’s affordable housing expert John Timmer said the 39-hectare development would create 100 jobs, with an anticipated return of more than $5 million to the local community through additional wages.
He added it was unlikely the estate would attract the stigma usually attached to social housing.
“This project will comprise about 30 per cent public housing tenants with the balance being owner-occupiers or private renters.
“The mixed community [housing] will be built in such a way as to ensure public housing is indistinguishable from all other housing.”
Demographics indicate a growing need for accommodation for the elderly. The Mews comprised mostly three-bedroom stand-alone dwellings, while the new development will offer independent living units and two-bedroom houses.
Construction is now under way on the first four stages of the development.
The first social housing tenants will move in in November.
Housing Minister Wendy Lovell, Liberal candidate for Northern Metropolitan Region Gladys Liu and Liberal candidate for Sunbury Jo Hagan joined representatives from the City of Hume, Baptcare and Australand to officially open the Valley Park display centre last Monday to celebrate the land transfer agreement.
