Joy and her 16-year-old cat Charlie are two of the first renters living in Croydon’s newest social housing development.
Joy now lives closer to her children and grandchildren. She loves having a cup of tea with her friendly neighbours, visiting the local library and lake, and spending time in her courtyard, tending to her plants.
"I had to go around to the library, I had to go and see the lake, I had to go and see the ducks she said.
“I just sat there in bliss, I don't know for how long, but it was just so nice because everything around here is green.
Joy also noted the quality of the homes.
“I like that the materials used here are excellent.
“I’m very happy, it’s secure, very quiet and also very light.”
For the past decade, Joy has lived in a social housing home managed by Community Housing Limited (CHL) in Lynbrook.
She recently took up the opportunity to move to the newly completed Croydon development, also managed by CHL and delivered in partnership with Homes Victoria.
Joy takes pride in her new home, which is one of 137 new social homes built within one of the largest developments delivered under the Social Housing Growth Fund to date.
About the project
The Croydon project includes a mix of apartment sizes to cater to singles, couples and families, including 45 one-bedroom, 76 two-bedroom, 15 three-bedroom and 1 four-bedroom apartments.
Many of the project residents have moved through the housing continuum with support from CHL – from homelessness to transitional housing and now finding a long-term home in this new development.
Lisa May, State Operations Manager, CHL said these houses provided stability for renters.
"At CHL we are here to provide housing to people who need it most, the wonder of community housing is that we can get people in, we can watch their lives transform because they've got a safe stable place to live," she said.
The architecturally designed apartments are modern and energy efficient, achieving a minimum five-star energy rating. This makes them cheaper to keep cool in summer and warm in winter. The homes are also designed with accessibility in mind for residents to age in place, including features like step-less showers and wider door frames.
Each home provides privacy for residents while also promoting communal living. The project is divided into two buildings, with a large garden courtyard in the middle for residents to meet and enjoy as well as rooftop terraces.
The building also includes a large basement car park and bicycle parking spaces. Residents can leave their car at home with the homes in easy walking accessibility to local shops and Eastland Park.
Cathryn McCarthy, Director Community Housing Partnerships at Homes Victoria, highlighted the value of partnerships with organisations like CHL.
"The community housing sector provide value to the state through partnerships with builders, developers, financiers, and local government," she said.
Homes Victoria is proud to work alongside the community housing sector which includes organisations like Community Housing Limited to deliver more and better social homes for Victorians.
Learn more about how Homes Victoria are working in partnership with the community housing sector.