Nurses, teachers, emergency services staff, personal carers and other Victorian essential workers are now eligible for $35,000 in savings off the price of land from developer Villawood Properties.
The grants form part of Villawood’s Care Worker Support Program, increasing from $20,000 to $35,000 in a community-targeted affordability drive marking the developer’s 35th birthday.
Recently awarded state and national gongs by the Urban Development Institute of Australia, the program has assisted more than 300 care workers in three states to buy a home close to their workplace.
The brainchild of Villawood executive director Rory Costelloe — whose own parents were both care works — the grants have totalled to more than $4.46 million.
“The care worker program is part of the Villawood ethos of giving back to the community,” Costelloe said.
“Care workers are remarkable human beings who hold our society together in so many ways. This program helps them and their presence in turn helps others in their neighbourhoods.
“It’s about strengthening our Villawood communities and the broader communities where care workers work.”
Villawood's Club Armstrong in their Geelong masterplan Armstrong. Image supplied
Australia Bureau of Statistics data shows that wages of vital care workers could be as far as $21K below the average annual income. PWC research also suggested as many as 79 per cent of care workers didn’t believe they would ever own their own home.
Villawood CEO Alan Miller said he is delighted to be able to increase the assistance for care workers.
“They are the backbone of our community, yet this research shows many can struggle to own their own homes," Miller said.
“This program is aimed squarely at helping achieve that. It’s provided a mechanism to ensure they can live close to work and in a thriving, positive community.”
Villawood's Rathdowne masterplan in Wollert. Image supplied
The program was previously means tested to individuals earning less than $85,000 or couples with a combined $135,000 income. As part of today’s increase, Villawood are also announcing that these salary caps are to be lifted to $125,000 per person and $195,000 per household, in an effort to ensure all care workers are eligible.
The increase to the Care Worker Support Program has elicited strong support from government, care sectors, unions and carers themselves.
Anna Ramos Ascue, an intensive care nurse at Armstrong in Mt Duneed, is a previous recipient of the grant, and remembers the huge impact it had on her.
“It was a great help — just not having to put up so much money out of pocket," Ascue said.
“It was really touching that Villawood thought about us, because you’ve been working so hard caring for people in the community so it’s like their way of giving back to us — which is so good."
James Headlam, a teacher and resident of Villawood’s Armstrong development in Mount Duneed, had been housing hunting for two years before hearing about the Care Worker Support program.
“Originally, I’d been looking at buying an established home but that was just out of the question with interest rates rising.
“Making the most of the $20,000 grant really cemented a good decision to move to Armstrong— I would highly recommend. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get into the housing market, especially in such a fantastic community.”
The grants are capped at 25 lots per participating communities in Melbourne and Geelong for a total of 200 lots. The participating communities are:
- Alamora (Tarneit)
- Armstrong (Mt Duneed, Geelong)
- Coridale (Lara)
- Kimberley (Sunbury)
- Redstone (Sunbury)
- Sherwood Grange (Sunbury)
- Rathdowne (Wollert)
Publisher Website: http://villawoodproperties.com.au