ANTHONY ALBANESE MP
PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA

DANIEL ANDREWS  MP
PREMIER OF VICTORIA

COLIN BROOKS MP 
VICTORIAN MINISTER FOR HOUSING

More Victorians will have a place to call home in inner Melbourne, as the redevelopment of the old Carlton red brick public housing towers becomes the first Social Housing Accelerator project announced in the nation, thanks to the Andrews and Albanese Labor Governments.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Premier Daniel Andrews and Victorian Minister for Housing Colin Brooks today visited the now-vacant Carlton site to announce the project, with demolition to begin next year.

The redevelopment will be wholly funded by the Federal Government’s Social Housing Accelerator and replace the 196 outdated, uninhabitable dwellings – built in the 1960s – with 231 modern, energy efficient homes for Victorians, increasing housing on the site by at least 10 per cent.

The 231 homes will form part of 769 homes Victoria will deliver as part of the Social Housing Accelerator investment – with the Albanese Government delivering almost $500 million for new social housing stock in Victoria on top of the Andrews Labor Government’s landmark $5.3 billion Big Housing Build, and the recently announced $1 billion Regional Housing Fund.

When complete, all former residents of the Carlton towers will be invited to return to live in the new homes on the site, which will also be used to house tenants who live in other public housing redevelopment projects while they are underway.

The Federal Government’s $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator will increase Australia’s housing supply by creating thousands of social homes across Australia – with all funding to be committed by states and territories within two years.

Today’s announcement builds on last month’s agreement by National Cabinet to the most significant housing reforms in a generation, including a new national target to build 1.2 million new well-located homes, the National Planning Reform Blueprint, and A Better Deal for Renters.

At National Cabinet, the Federal Government also committed $3 billion to the New Homes Bonus to incentivise states and territories to undertake the reforms necessary to reach the 1.2 million well-located homes target, and $500 million for the Housing Support Program to help local and state governments deliver new housing supply in well-located areas.

The announcement today also comes in the week after the Federal Parliament passed the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund.

Since Victoria’s Big Housing Build started in November 2020, more than 7,600 homes have been completed or are underway, and more than 2,800 are complete – with households already moved in, or preparing to be welcomed into their new homes.

As at 19 September 2023.