Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke announced a big funding boost to social housing in Young on Tuesday morning with support for Argyle Housing that will be invested into the community.
Ms Cooke said the NSW Government is providing a boost to social housing in Young with Argyle Housing to invest $644,000 into the town.
The funding will enable Argyle Housing to undertake upgrades to up to 77 social housing properties in Young, improving the liveability of these homes for tenants.
The project is part of $3.8 million boost from the NSW Government to upgrade 300 social housing properties to support people in need in Campbelltown to Bowral through to Yass, Young and Wagga Wagga.
Ms Cooke said the investment would help update local social housing and ensure residents were comfortable.
“It’s so important people in social housing can live in properties they feel proud to be in and want to take care of,” Ms Cooke said.
“This investment in to our community is paramount to ensure these vital assets are updated and kept in good condition.”
“It’s also essential we maintain these properties to ensure they can be used by those who need them for years to come.”
The new program of works will be rolled-out by June with Ms Cooke saying that the funding will improve the quality, safety and comfort of homes with new roofs and fences, as well as replacing windows and painting exterior walls.
“This is an amazing opportunity to engage with local regional contractors and work with them throughout the procurement process to ensure that they receive the opportunity to realise the employment and economic benefits of this program,” Argyle Housing CEO Wendy Middleton said.
“We hope these measures contribute to supporting positive health outcomes for tenants, particularly in Young where extreme heat and cold are experienced throughout the year.”
Ms Middleton expressed the need to upgrade the residences to meet the needs of tenants.
“A key focus of this project is to provide modern upgrades to existing dwellings that better meets the needs of current and future tenants in Young,” she said.
This funding allocation follows the announcement of 31 successful bids by Community Housing Providers (CHPs) to deliver $40 million in stimulus funding to upgrade social housing, create jobs and help build safer and stronger communities throughout NSW.
The $40 million program will deliver capital works for more than 2000 properties owned by the NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) and managed by CHPs, including 55 per cent in regional locations.
David Robertson from Horizons Coating, Steph Cooke MP, Bronwyn Weaver and Jamie Lobb from Argyle Housing.