Breaking ground on new social housing project in Warrnambool
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
BY LERISSE SMITH
A groundbreaking $18.9 million Salvation Army social housing project is set to transform the Warrnambool landscape, with construction now underway on the pioneering development in Victoria’s south-west, supporting families and people at risk of homelessness.
After three years in the pipeline since council approval, the Salvation Army Housing Victoria (SAHV) project is finally forging ahead – delivering 21 new social housing homes in partnership with Homes Victoria.
Tucked behind the rear of Warrnambool Corps and next to the community hub on Mortlake Road, the development will feature 14 two-bedroom townhouses and seven three-bedroom townhouses, forming a new pocket of long-term housing in regional Victoria.
“This isn’t just a bricks and mortar exercise, this is a lives-transformed exercise,” says Major Mal Davies, Victorian Divisional Commander.
“So, what thrills us, what excites us, is the fact that we will have people that we can not only support and help in practical ways but perhaps also talk to about Jesus and about how life can be better.”
And the project’s vision is sharply defined: to create a setting where housing, multiple supports, and connection intersect in one place.
“Over the years, I’ve worked a lot with homeless people and spoken to groups about The Salvation Army’s work with homeless people,” reflects Mal.
“And one of the first points you try and clarify or get across to them is that you don’t solve the problems of a homeless person simply by putting a roof over their head – that doesn’t do it.
“There are almost always other issues, multiple issues that we need to address. So, where we get this sort of opportunity to address a range of issues with a person is just incredibly helpful – it just gives us that inroad, that foot in the door to build relationship and see lives transformed.”
The $11 million contribution from Homes Victoria and the State Government, delivered under the Build and Operate program, is helping bring the project to life, with completion expected by July 2027.
Chris Karagiannis, CEO of Salvation Army Housing, acknowledged and thanked Homes Victoria and the State Government for their funding and support in working with the aim to bring The Salvation Army’s vision of Holistic and Integrated Mission to life in Warrnambool.
At its heart, the development is focused on long-term housing and targeted support for families and individuals at risk of homelessness, particularly women over 50, who have applied for housing through the Victorian Housing Register. The four single-level units with two bedrooms will cater for this cohort.
A standout feature of the site will be a community garden located on the western part of the site, designed to strengthen engagement among residents, the adjacent Salvation Army Warrnambool Corps, and Salvation Army social services.
The location also benefits from its close proximity to Warrnambool Hospital, primary schools, public transport and parkland, reinforcing its integration within the local community.
“The current focus of The Salvation Army across the territory is to provide holistic integrated mission,” says Mal.
An artist’s impression of what the new social housing will look like.
With the site sitting directly behind the church, it’s a detail he says is central to how the project will function day to day and how relationships will form over time.
“It just builds relationship, and so we’re really excited that this accommodation program will be so close to the church,” he remarks.
“The project is literally built at the back of the church, and so there’ll be a lot of opportunity for holistic integrated mission working with people in a range of different ways.”
The Divisional Commander also pushes back against the assumption that housing pressure is limited to major cities.
“I think some people can think there’s an urgent need for public housing just in the big capital cities – but that is far from the truth,” he says.
“The fact is that in many of our rural locations, spread right across the state and across the nation, there’s an urgent need for housing. Warrnambool is very much a tourist area, a holiday destination, a lovely place to visit and live.
“So, there’s people who often move there looking for work in the tourism industry, in fishing, in service industries ... and so, people travel down there and then find, gosh, maybe there’s not the work that I thought there would be, or they miss out, and suddenly find themselves in hardship. There’s just limited housing.”
Local leaders have signalled strong support for the development, welcoming the addition of much-needed housing stock to the region when the project was first announced.
When the project was launched, the Mayor of Warrnambool and the local MP were thrilled, Mal added, delighted that some additional housing would be built in Warrnambool.
And for the army leadership team, the emphasis remains firmly on outcomes that prioritise people over infrastructure – and transformation over construction.
“What I love is that at the end of it all are people,” the Divisional Commander emphasises. “And we want to see lives transformed.”
