Hobart’s Queen’s Walk will soon be home to dozens more residents, with the final touches underway on a 65-unit expansion that will make it Tasmania’s largest social housing development.
Housing Minister Felix Ellis toured the $26.5 million project today, as just over 5,000 applicants sit on the social housing waiting list.
The new one and two-bedroom apartments will bring the total number of units at Queen’s Walk to 149, with the first residents expected to move in next month.
“Queen’s Walk … didn’t have the greatest reputation back in the day and it’s been important for us to turn that around,” Ellis said at the site.
“Because this is a desirable location. These are great homes and we want to ensure that it’s a place for the community.”
Ellis acknowledged more needs to be done to deliver housing faster, especially in the social and affordable sectors.
“That’s why it’s so important that the government is taking action in areas to reduce red tape and to facilitate planning,” he said.
“That’s why our development assessment panel legislation is so important. If social and affordable housing meets the planning scheme, it should get a fair go rather than being knocked back at the council stage.”
The expansion comes as the state government prepares to unveil $500 million for housing in Thursday’s budget, part of a plan to deliver 10,000 new social and affordable homes by 2032.
James Henry from Housing Choices, which has managed the site since 2013, said the Queen’s Walk upgrade would help create “a true mixed-tenure community”.
With most applicants on the housing register needing one or two-bedroom homes, the government is also hoping the new units will encourage current tenants in larger social housing to downsize.
“We have many people, singles and couples, living in larger detached dwellings and we really want to give them an opportunity to downsize and move to something that’s more suitable to their needs,” Ellis said.
“That’ll free up larger social homes for growing families.”
The build, delivered by construction company Fairbrother, wrapped up three months ahead of schedule and included 25,000 hours of apprentice training.
