Refai’s new lease comes with secure tenure. As a young person starting a career,she had been anxious about the lack of certainty about where and how she would live,how she could afford to live near her work,and worrying where she would end up.
Sam Buckerfield,the general manager corporate communications for Fresh Hope Communities said the goal was to provide security. “We are not about to up the rent quickly. Because that’s the biggest challenge in Sydney;the contract ends and it jumps by $200 a week.”
Fresh Hope partnered with Victorian not for profit developer Nightingale Housing,to tap into its experience in other states building sustainable,affordable,architect designed homes that are sold at cost.
Buckerfield said Nightingale Marrickville would be “accommodating in every sense of the word.” That meant being flexible if someone’s situation changed,they lost their job or got ill,for example.
Nightingale’s chief executive Dan McKenna said getting the project to completion over the past six years had been long ride.
“We’ve learned a lot and would love to replicate this. We see huge amounts of underutilised land,whether it be church land or government land. Things like this can absolutely be done.”
The aesthetics of the project combined with the community was a huge draw for Refai,she said.
The project is shortlisted in this year’s NSW Institute of Architects awards.
SJB director Adam Haddow said given the current housing crisis,the potential for quality,intelligent and community-centred design as a solution had been under-appreciated for far too long.
McKenna said there was a lot of emotion on the day they drew names out of the hat last week after vetting applicant’s income and assets.
Many applicants “had been bouncing around looking for something secure,staying with friends,just looking for a steady place where they can put down roots.”
More than half of the apartments were allocated to people with a disability,community contributors,Indigenous Australians,single women over 55.
Called Teilhaus homes,meaning “part-of-house” in German,the homes are designed to be small,sustainable and efficient. There is no parking,but plenty of parking for bikes. It is powered by solar,and fitted with fans,there is no need for air conditioning.
Nightingale’s projects were described as “building with heart” by the host of UK Grand Designs,Kevin McCloud,who visited one of its affordable housing communities in Melbourne last month.
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