A first for affordable housing in Casino with eight-unit complex to be finished by February

ABOVE: State MP Chris Gulaptis, Momentum Collective’s Fiona Miller and Mark Edwards, mayor Robert Mustow and board member Mark Formaggin outside the building site in Centre St. Photo: Susanna Freymark

Susanna Freymark

An eight-unit housing complex is being built in Centre St in Casino and will be offered as affordable housing at the end of February.

Momentum Collective director of property and housing Mark Edwards was clear that the block of units was not social housing but affordable housing.

This means the rent is 25% below the current rental market prices, he said.

A two-bed unit private rental in Casino in Farley St was being advertised for $340.

There will an eligibility assessment and anyone who can’t access the open rental market, for whatever reason, can apply, Mr Edwards said.

“These are the first affordable housing units in Casino.”

Momentum were owners and landlords of housing stock ranging from crisis and specialist accommodation to social and affordable housing.

Real estate agent and Momentum board member Mark Formaggin said part of the current housing boom was that so many people were displaced.

State MP Chris Gulaptis said it wasn’t just up to the government to solve the housing crisis.

“Every stakeholder must play a part from the local council, State Government and developers,” Mr Gulaptis said.

Council could reduce charges and the State Government could take the red tape out of the housing industry, he said.

The units will be a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments with a modern design.

Eligibility for affordable housing depends mostly on household income. The more people, including children, living in a household, the higher the household income is allowed to be.

There is a list of other eligibility criteria on Momentum’s website and includes:

• Local people who currently live in the area or need to do so for employment or education reasons.

• People who may work in key local industries or important areas of employment, including the services industry.

• People who might not be ready to purchase their own home or perhaps are currently renting and unable to comfortably afford a full market rent.

One of the ground floor units will be fully modified for disability access and this will be for someone who might not otherwise be able to find a home to suit their needs.

There are four units on the ground floor and four on the first floor.

There is limited on-site parking and one resident on the same street was concerned about where the extra cars will park as the steep and narrow road next to the units only had parking on one side of the road.

Momentum recieved $1.7mil from a pool of $50mil as part of the NSW Community Housing Innovation Fund announced earlier this year. This money is for the acquisition of more homes for community housing but was not used for Centre St.

The application form to apply for a unit is available here – opens in new tab