We started out life in the 1980s as a manager of State Government owned rooming houses. In those days rooming houses were for people from all walks of life, including local workers at the docks and younger people coming to the city to look for work. Over time, government eligibility rules changed, and the tenant profile changes. In the 1990s and 2000s management issues increased and there were factors that made rooming houses less safe.
We have worked closely with the State Government since 2008 to have our rooming houses progressively converted to blocks of self-contained studio apartments.
The increase to safety and amenity for tenants, and reduction of management issues for us, have been nothing short of remarkable.
We are very proud that this program is almost complete: our last rooming house has just closed in readiness for upgrade/conversion. A 24-room rooming house, our largest, will be converted in 2017-18 and, thanks to some very exciting architectural plans, will include 25 self-contained studio apartments with an innovative heating/cooling system, a community kitchen, and state of the art energy saving features.
South Port Community Housing Group would like to acknowledge that we operate here today on the land of the traditional owners of this land, the Yalukit Willam clan of the Boon Wurrung. We pay our respect to their elders, past and present. We recognise and respect the significance of their cultural heritage and relationship with the land as we work from the historic meeting place of Emerald Hill.