‘Lifestyle’ comments shock community body Public homes backed

Alex de Vos
Residents support plans for Torquay public housing despite claims the “lifestyle” of its tenants would clash with neighbours, according to a community centre.
Spring Creek Community House coordinator Laura Connor said she was “mortified” to read in last week’s Independent councillor Keith Grossman slamming the proposal to investigate the provision of public homes at Torquay.
Cr Grossman said public housing also “just wouldn’t fit” with other residential projects on the drawing board for Torquay.
But Ms Connor said residents would welcome public housing.
“Residents have expressed a desperate need for public housing in Torquay,” Ms Connor said.
Ms Connor said she was “shocked” Cr Grossman had claimed bringing public housing tenants to Torquay would fail because their lifestyles were incompatible with existing residents.
“We’re not talking about bringing in newcomers – the people that need public housing are already here,” she said.
“We have families that have lived here for generations and their children will never be able to afford to buy in Torquay.
“If it ( public housing) is done properly people shouldn’t even know it’s there.”
State Government announced last week a $50,000 grant for Surf Coast Shire to develop plans for “affordable housing that engage the private sector, social and/or public housing” in the Spring Creek urban growth area.
Other suburbs taking part in the Government’s Local Action on Affordable Housing project included Melbourne’s Footscray, Preston, Northcote and Doncaster, the Government said.