Construction Begins on $22m Wollongong Housing Project

Contruction has begun on a 54-apartment high-rise development at Wollongong that will provide social, affordable and private housing in the same complex.

The $22-million mixed-tenure project is a collaboration between the NSW Land and Housing Corporation, Traders In Purple and the Housing Trust.

Replacing the three-storey 1950s apartment building at 15-19 Crown Street, the 13-storey tower will comprise 10 social housing units, six for affordable housing and the remaining 38 for private housing.  

Eight of the 10 social housing units will feature dual-key access with two self-contained homes with lockable doors and a shared foyer, allowing carers or support workers to live on site. 

The social housing units will also be built to a minimum NatHERS 7.0 star rating to minimise mechanical heating and cooling.

The project will have communal areas with rooftop access, retail shops and 69 car-parking spaces.

The project is scheduled for completion in July 2023, providing housing for 120 residents, and 110 jobs during the project’s lifecycle. 

NSW planning minister Anthony Roberts said the project was a priority. 

“We know rental vacancies in Wollongong and the Illawarra are extremely low, which is why projects like these are a priority for us," Roberts said.

“More than 100 people, including 36 of our most vulnerable, will soon have a place to call home, close to existing services, with Wollongong South Beach just 200m away, the St George Illawarra Dragons NRL stadium across the road, shops around the corner, and some of the city’s best cafes and restaurants on the same street.”

▲ A render of the NSW government’s joint residential project with Traders In Purple and the Housing Trust in Wollongong.

Roberts said there was more work to be done to meet the demand for housing in the regions. 

“We’ve currently got more than 750 social housing dwellings ready to be built in regional NSW and collaborating with the private sector helps keep pace with the growing need for social and affordable housing,” he said. 

NSW families, communities and disability services minister Natasha Maclaren-Jones said it was important to include social and affordable housing in projects where possible. 

“Affordable accommodation provides some of our state’s most vulnerable with much needed stability that can relieve pressures and allow them to focus on prospects of further education, training or employment,” Maclaren-Jones said.

“These units will ensure many Wollongong locals have a safe space to call home.”

Housing Trust chief executive Michele Adair said mixed-tenure projects allowed for more diversity and inclusion within communities. 

“This mixed-tenure approach follows international best practice and innovation in housing, and this is an exemplar project we are proud to be part of,” Adair said.