We are creating new opportunities for affordable housing in the City of Melbourne.

On 27 August 2024, Council resolved to lease a council-owned car park at Victoria Street for the purpose of affordable housing.

The next step will be to establish a Project Reference Group and begin a selective public process to identify a community housing provider to build and manage affordable housing at the site.

Council also agreed to defer further consideration of the lease of 44-60 Curzon Street, North Melbourne, for affordable housing, until the impact of delivering affordable housing at the Victoria Street site is understood.

Every Melburnian deserves a safe place to call home and projects like Victoria Street will increase the supply of affordable housing in the City of Melbourne.

The city has a shortfall of at least 6000 affordable rental homes and if we do nothing this will almost quadruple to more than 23,000 by 2036. For this reason, we are committed to working with the State and Federal governments to increase the number of affordable homes, as well as using our own land for this purpose. This commitment is part of our Affordable Housing Strategy 2020-2030.

Affordable housing helps support people on low incomes by providing high-quality housing at below the market rate – enhancing liveability in our city, the diversity of our community and the productivity of our economy.

While 325 – 341 Victoria Street is currently being used as a public car park, a parking analysis conducted at peak times in June 2024 has shown sufficient parking is available nearby within a three-to-four-minute walk.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on this proposal.

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Community consultation

Feedback we heard on investigating Affordable Housing at Curzon and Victoria streets in 2022 and 2024.

Project overview

Learn more about the Affordable Housing at Curzon and Victoria Streets project.

News

Timeline

  • Timeline item 1 - complete

    Council adopted the Affordable Housing Strategy and committed to finding a suitable site for a pilot project

    Late 2020

    Learn more

  • Timeline item 2 - complete

    Council undertook a review of Council-owned land that might be suitable for an affordable housing project

    2021

  • Timeline item 3 - complete

    Desktop planning, policy review and preliminary car parking utilisation study to assess site suitability for an affordable housing project

    Early 2022

  • Timeline item 4 - complete

    Community Engagement to inform early investigations at Curzon Street site

    4 April to 15 May 2022

  • Timeline item 5 - complete

    Additional site investigations for Curzon Street and Victoria Street sites

    Mid 2023

  • Timeline item 6 - complete

    Council endorses community consultation on opportunities for Curzon Street and Victoria Street sites for affordable housing

    30 April 2024

  • Timeline item 7 - complete

    Community consultation on proposal to lease these sites for the purpose of affordable housing

    May 2024

  • Timeline item 8 - complete

    Council decision on whether to lease these sites for the purpose of affordable housing

    Council decision to lease 325-341 Victoria Street, West Melbourne, for affordable housing and defer 44-60 Curzon Street, North Melbourne

    August 2024

  • Timeline item 9 - active

    Process to select Affordable Housing provider to develop and manage sites (pending Council decision)

    To be determined later in 2024

  • Timeline item 10 - incomplete

    Planning Permit Application

    To be determined later in 2024 - 2025

Find out more about Homes Melbourne

Contact us

Have questions or want to learn more about the project? Call 9658 9658