CatholicCare’s new social and affordable housing plans were on display yesterday as Federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar toured the development site where 55 new dwellings will be built on the grounds of the former Abbotsfield Road Primary school. These are for Tasmanian housing priority applicants with 45 dwellings funded by an Australian Government grant of $8m which was announced in February this year.

“This is an exciting project and no-one’s dragging their feet,” said Minister Sukkar, “It’s been an extraordinarily quick process by the usual standards.”

CatholicCare Tasmania Director of Housing Services Ben Wilson said, “CatholicCare is contributing a further $9m to this development, which will enable an extra 10 dwellings to be built on the site.”

“We’ve delivered 120 new homes in the last six months, and hope to deliver 210 more in the next 12 months,” Ben said.

When completed in November 2020, the new development will provide housing for about 150 Tasmanians. A development application is lodged and building is expected to begin in September.

Federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar with CatholicCare staff during his tour of the new social and affordable housing site at Abbotsfield Road