Carlton Debut for Fed’s Social Housing Accelerator

The nation’s first Social Housing Accelerator project will replace 196 units from the 1960s in inner-Melbourne with 231 homes.

The project, on the site of the now-vacant public housing towers on Nicholson Street, Carlton, was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Victorian Minister for Housing Colin Brooks during a visit to the site where demolition is planned to begin early next year.

The redevelopment will be funded by the Federal government’s $2-billion Social Housing Accelerator and will increasing housing on the site by at least 10 per cent.

The 231 homes will form part of 769 homes Victoria says it will deliver as part of the Social Housing Accelerator investment.

The Federal government has earmarked almost $500 million for new social housing stock in Victoria on top of the state government’s $5.3-billion Big Housing Build, and the recently announced $1-billion Regional Housing Fund.

When complete, all former residents of the Carlton towers will be invited to return to live in the new homes on the site, which will also be used to house tenants who live in other public housing redevelopment projects while they are under way.

The announcement came the week after the Federal Parliament passed the $10-billion Housing Australia Future Fund.

Since Victoria’s Big Housing Build began in November 2020, more than 7600 homes have been completed or are under way, and more than 2800 are complete, according to the Victorian government.

“Every Australian deserves the security of a roof over their head—our steps to deliver more homes around the country under the Social Housing Accelerator start here in Carlton, where this housing will be given a modern rebuild to last for the long haul,” the PM said