Social BtR Project Rising on Site of Abandoned WA Tower

Ground has been turned on a build-to-rent project that replaces a notorious public housing tower in Perth’s north-west.

Construction of the Smith Street build-to-rent development at Highgate began this week to deliver social and affordable housing close to the CBD, according to the WA government.

It is rising on the former site of Stirling Towers, which were abandoned a decade ago.

The project was approved in November after a demolition permit was issued in August.

It is the first social housing development by the state to follow the build-to-rent model.

Stage 1 of the project, which included the demolition of the Stirling Towers, completed last month. A development manager and builder were also appointed for the second stage during this phase.

That stage will be delivered by Tetris Capital and Perkins (WA), in partnership with Community Housing Limited.

In this stage the former public housing site will be transformed into new one and two-bedroom social, affordable and specialist disability rental units.

▲ Rendering of the social housing build-to-rent project under way, designed by Architectus.

The four-storey development’s 109 apartments, 78 of which will be dedicated to social housing, 22 to affordable rentals and seven specialist disability accommodation plus two onsite overnight assistance units, will be managed by Community Housing Ltd.

The project has been designed by Architectus and developed by a consortium comprised of Tetris Capital and Community Housing.

It is the state’s first private-public partnership to utilise a 52-year ground lease on state-owned land.

The state said the Smith Street project was a key component of its Housing Diversity Pipeline of sites identified to deliver social housing stock in the short to medium term.

The project has received more than $30 million in state funding and a $46-million contribution from the Federal Social Housing Accelerator Payment fund.

▲ Stirling Towers were demolished as part of the first stage of the project.

The 12-storey Stirling Towers were completed in 1971 by the state. A three-storey block of 12 units was built next to the original tower in 1999.

Stirling Towers was in use until 2015 when, after many years of drug and vandalism issues, the Department of Housing relocated the last tenants and evicted the squatters.

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