ECHO Housing

Redevelopment of 2 properties

In 2009 ECHO successfully applied for funding to redevelop 2 properties through the opportunity made available from the Economic Stimulus Funding for Social Housing Construction. A proposal was put forward for 2 x 2 bedroom houses to be built in place of one property and a 3 bedroom house, that would be a share house with two tenancy units, on the other.

During the last part of 2009 the tenants from the two properties affected and a small project team from ECHO met regularly with the architect, Alan Morschel, and a project manager from the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services to create a design that would suit ECHO tenants. Incorporated into the design of the properties was 6 star rated energy efficiency and landscaping appropriate to the site using some permaculture principles. ECHO provided some additional funds to the project to ensure the environmental standards, for example water tanks of an appropriate size, could be met.

Construction started in April 2010 and the houses are now complete. The first new tenants started moving in October with the last unit becoming tenanted through the new Social Housing Register in December 2010.

ECHO would like to acknowledge the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services, Alan Morschel, the architect, Nick Hopkins, landscape architect and all of the ECHO members and tenants who participated in this project. 

The photo’s attached to this story show progress of construction at the 23rd of August 2010.