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Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation’s first Affordable Housing Challenge project, a 40-unit development in Preston, is now complete. In an innovative first, it will also see the development of a social services partnership between Thorne Harbour Health (THH) and Housing Choices Australia (HCA) to provide Australia’s first LGBTIQ+ focused social housing project.
This important project has been developed in response to the need for culturally safe housing options for LGBTIQ+ people who have experienced discrimination that have negatively affected their housing, wellbeing and health outcomes. This need has been exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic where experiences of social isolation and poor mental health have disproportionally affected the LGBTIQ+ community.
The development is well located close to shops, transport, amenities and a thriving community. 60 per cent of tenants will identify as LGBTIQ+ with the remaining 40 per cent of residents from other health and housing services.
It has been designed to create a culturally inclusive and celebratory living environment where members of the LGBTIQ+ community who have experiences of stigma, discrimination, isolation or abuse can live with dignity, safety and pride.
Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation has provided a grant to Thorne Harbour Health to fund a project support work who will facilitate the establishment of this innovative project. The support worker will identify LGBTIQ+ and allied tenants, engage with LGBTIQ+ community organisations to find residents that would benefit, establish working relationships with other nominating agencies, and facilitate pre-tenanting community building activities.