• Frequently asked questions
• Background
• Council's Community Housing Program Achievements

Finding affordable, secure and suitable rental housing in Port Phillip is becoming increasingly difficult.  This is why council's commitment to its community housing program is increasingly important. To assist residents to find such housing, the City of Port Phillip established the Port Phillip Community Housing Program in 1985. This program is now being developed and managed by Port Phillip Housing Association Ltd. on behalf of Council under the Port Phillip Housing Trust.

The Housing Program provides affordable rental housing to the following household types:

• Older persons
• Families
• Singles wanting self-contained housing
• Singles and other households wanting rooming house accommodation
• Youth and
• Persons from the above household types with a disability.

What is community housing?

Community housing is similar to public housing except that it is managed by a community organisation and can also be initiated, planned, part funded, developed and owned by community organisations including local government. In some cases community housing properties are owned by the public housing authority (Office of Housing) but managed by a community housing organisation.

Community housing is:

• Affordable with respect to your income
• Appropriate to the needs of your household
• Accessible to long-term residents of Port Phillip
• Located close to community services and public transport
• Safe and secure, long-term housing
• Well designed
• Housing that allows your involvement in housing management
• Respectful of tenant rights.

Am I eligible for the community housing under the Port Phillip Housing Program?

If you are on a low income, eg. generally receiving Centrelink income, and have strong links to the Port Phillip area (current or past residency), you may be eligible for community housing in Port Phillip.

Where is the housing located?

It is located across Port Phillip. Currently, more projects are located in St Kilda, where the program was established in 1985. The program was expanded to include South Melbourne and Port Melbourne areas in 2000.

What type of housing is provided?

• Rooming house and bedsitter/studio accommodation
• 2, 3 and 4 bedroom family flats and townhouses
• One and two bedroom older persons' units
• One bedroom singles units
• Accessible housing for persons with a disability. 

What rent will I pay and how long can I stay?

You will pay a similar rent to public housing provided by the State Government, for example, up to 25 per cent of your income. However you may remain eligible to receive Commonwealth rent assistance. You can stay as long as you like as long as the terms of your tenancy are met.

Who manages the housing?

The community housing is managed by the Port Phillip Housing Association Ltd. -  the City of Port Phillip's designated housing manager. Port Phillip Housing Association  Ltd. is also a registered Affordable Housing Association by the Victorian Government. The housing association  determines eligibility and allocates and manages the housing.Port Phillip Housing Association Ltd

How do I apply?

Contact Port Phillip Housing Association Ltd to make an appointment at its office between 9 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday.

Telephone: (03) 9534 5837

Fax: (03) 9534 8636

Email: info@ppha.org.au

Address: Suite 6, 22-28 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda 3182

There are also other Community Housing organisations managing communty rooming houses and other forms of community housing in Port Phillip Rooming Houses.  These organisations include:

St Kilda Community Housing Ltd:

2 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda  
Tel: 9534 1809

Southport Community Housing Group Inc:

259 Dorcas Street, Sth Melbourne  
Tel: 9696 1128

Community Housing Ltd:

9 Prospect Street, Box Hill  
Tel: 9856 0050

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The Port Phillip Housing Program was originally established by the City of St.Kilda in 1985. Between 1985 and 2006 Council was a direct provider or developer of community housing, developing Australia's largest local government housing program.  This involved the roles of part funding, developing and owning community housing projects across Port Phillip either through joint ventures with the Department of Human Services-office of Housing or in partnership with developers.

The values that underpin the Housing Program are:

• Recognition that sustainable communities are socially diverse communities.
• Recognition that affordable and appropriate housing assists to maintain personal well-being and health.
• Encouragement of community tolerance towards social disadvantage and diversity.
• Support for policy that is firmly based on social equity and social justice principles.

Policies of the City of Port Philip support the Housing Program.  These include the Council Plan, Port Phillip Planning Scheme and Port Phillip Housing Strategy. Port Phillip Housing Strategy 2007-17

Property and tenancy management of the completed community housing was undertaken by Port Phillip Housing Association Ltd. (PPHA), formerly St.Kilda Housing Association Inc. which was established in 1986.  In 1998 PPHA became a funder, developer and owner of community housing in its own right in parallel with Council.  

Between 2004 and 2007 Council restructured the Program to transfer its role of owner and developer to PPHA. This involves establishment of the Port Phillip Housing Trust where Council transferred $36 million worth of Housing Program properties to PPHA as Trustee of the Trust. However, sicne Council completed its last project, the Woodstock rooming house in 2006, Council has maintained significant support for PPHA through:

• Contributing $400,000 in annual cash contributions to the Port Phillip Housing Trust.  Council had made a commitment in 2004 to provide the annual contribution for a 10 year period between 2005/06-2014/15. This assists the PPHA increase its capacity to leverage bank finance and fund new projects under the Trust.
• Contributing the property, 46-58 Marlborough Street, Balaclava for development as a future community housing project.
• Assistance with facilitation of new projects in Port Phillip provided to PPHA and all other social (public and community) housing organisations.   This includes support through the statutory planning process.
• Undertaking research projects to support all providers of social (public and community) housing in Port Phillip.
• Advocacy and leadership in supporting a range of housing objectives including social and affordable housing.

Part of the restructure of the Housing Program involved PPHA becoming a company limited by guarantee, achieving registration with the Victorian Government under the Housing Act which is regulated by the Registrar of Housing Agencies, diversifying its funding sources to include bank finance borrowing and parnerships with private developers, targeting a broader range of incomes from low to moderate income groups, including low income wage earners (key workers) and becoming a regional developer, ie developing new projects in Port Phillip and outside Port Phillip that are independent of Council.  

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The City of Port Phillip's Community Housing Program became the largest local government housing program in Australia. The Program is a partnership between Council and the PPHA. Council had been a direct provider of community housing between 1985 and 2006 with this role transferring to PPHA between 2004 and 2007. 

The Housing Program between 1985 and 2006 (up until the restructure of the Housing Program and including Council's last project, Woodstock) had provided 389 units in 17 projects housing 491 tenants at any one time:

• Projects:
• 15 projects by Council
• 2 projects by PPHA (as a developer since 1998)

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