Abbotsford Street, North Melbourne

We delivered 127 social homes and 17 market townhouses with a mix of one-, 2-, and 3- and 4-bedrooms to meet the needs of different families and households.    

The new homes feature:    

• Energy-efficient design to minimise heating and cooling costs  
• Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant homes with accessibility features to meet the needs of people with a disability.   
• A community room for residents to gather 
• A public thoroughfare with outdoor seating areas and internal courtyards.  

The Victorian Government’s Public Housing Renewal Program will deliver over 1300 modern and energy-efficient new homes across 5 sites in inner Melbourne – North Melbourne, Northcote, Preston and Brunswick West.   

This investment will create much-needed growth in Melbourne’s housing supply and replaces old walk-up social housing that did not meet modern design standards.   

Social housing   

Social housing is an umbrella term that includes both public housing and community housing. It is available to eligible people on the Victorian Housing Register. Typically, community housing rents are calculated as 25 – 30% of the household’s income, whereas public housing rents are set at 25% of the household’s income.    

Public housing   

Public housing is owned and managed by Homes Victoria. The state government provides public housing to eligible Victorians including:   

• people who are unemployed   
• people on low incomes   
• people living with a disability or a mental illness or who are at risk of homelessness   
• people escaping family violence.     

Community housing   

Community housing is managed by community housing organisations.    

Community housing organisations are highly regulated, not-for-profit housing providers that specialise in housing a diverse range of renters.   

Market housing   

Market housing refers to homes that are available for purchase or rent at prices set by the current housing market. These homes are not government subsidised.    

The cost of market housing depends on factors like where they are located, how many people want them, and their quality, and features.   

Community engagement is an important element of all Homes Victoria projects, and it was key to the success of the Abbotsford Street, North Melbourne project.  

We previously established a Community Consultative Committee that brought together members of the community to help plan the future of the project. The Committee’s feedback was essential in addressing concerns, and making sure the project reflected community interests and expectations. The Committee closed at the end of 2023 when construction of the project was underway.  

We would like to thank Committee members, as well as other stakeholders that were involved in the Abbotsford Street, North Melbourne project, who contributed knowledge and feedback over a number of years.