During the first week of August, Anglicare Sydney welcomed The Hon. Gareth Ward – NSW Minister for Family, Community and Disability Services – for a tour of its affordable housing site at Corrimal.

Corrimal is one of nine affordable housing sites Anglicare is developing across Greater Sydney and the Illawarra as part of its contribution to the government’s $1.1 billion Social and Affordable Housing Fund.

Already, Anglicare has introduced these apartments to members of the local Anglicare parish. They toured the site at the end of July.

“We are not just building bricks and mortar,” Rob Burnelek, General Manager of Housing, said. “We are creating a strong community and enriching lives through linking the local church to their new neighbours.”

Anglicare’s model, while being respectful of residents’ homes, is supporting the local church to reach out to the community alongside existing services.

“We hope the church will be part of the fabric of this community,” Rob Burnelek said. “And we hope with such a significant Anglicare presence in the neighbourhood, we encourage more outreach.”

Twenty-eight apartments, a mix of bedsits and one-bedroom apartments, are being built at Corrimal by Tower Projects.

The priority for these homes and most of Anglicare’s 650 affordable homes will be single women over 55 years old.

“Anglicare is creating strong and caring communities that give dignity to each resident,” Bill Farrand, Anglicare’s Chief Operating Officer of Community Services, said.

In the middle of July, Anglicare also broke ground at its Mount Druitt site alongside the builder GrowthBuilt.

While the Corrimal sites will be completed within two months, Mount Druitt will be completed in 12 months and see 113 affordable apartments.

“We are providing the security and comfort of a new home and the support of a real community,” Bill Farrand said.