The McGowan Government has today released Early Tender Advice (ETA) for an innovative pilot project that would see a former public housing site in Highgate transformed into a contemporary build-to-rent development.
The Department of Communities is progressing an opportunity to partner with a community housing provider (CHP) or CHP-led consortium to redevelop the former Stirling Towers site on Smith Street.
Stirling Towers was a social housing complex constructed in 1970 consisting of one 12-storey tower and one three-storey tower, and more than 90 social housing units.
The Smith Street Build-to-Rent project would seek to replace the existing towers with a modern mixed-tenure residential development offering social, affordable and market-price rental apartments, with integrated asset and tenancy management services provided under a ground lease with a CHP.
Build-to-rent is a relatively new model of urban housing in Western Australia where apartments are developed for the purposes of renting rather than being onsold.
The location within 2 kilometres of the Perth CBD offers a range of amenities including shops, public transport, parks, as well as education, sporting and entertainment facilities.
The Smith Street Build-to-Rent project is a key component of the Government’s Housing Diversity Pipeline of sites identified to deliver social housing stock in the short to medium term.
An invitation for expressions of interest will be released via Tenders WA in March 2022. ETA advice can be found at https://www.tenders.wa.gov.au
As stated by Housing Minister John Carey:
“I am focused on driving innovative solutions that reform the way housing is delivered and redeveloping the Stirling Towers site using a build-to-rent model is one way we are doing that.
“I know the community wants to see this site redeveloped and I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure that happens.
“Stirling Towers is a prime example of the challenges we face in terms of social housing in Western Australia, with a significant number of ageing assets that are no longer fit for purpose.
“The McGowan Government is tackling the housing challenge by investing $2.1 billion in this term of Parliament to expand and improve our State’s stock of social housing. That will include the delivery of around 3,300 new homes.
“The Stirling Towers site is among 12 State-owned parcels of land that have been released through the McGowan Government’s Housing Diversity Pipeline, which is aimed at delivering greater housing diversity and increasing the availability of social housing.”
