Kalimna House thrown open

By Dion Teasdale
A NEW $1.5 million 22-room public housing accommodation facility for single adults on low incomes was opened in Healesville last week.
The facility, known as Kalimna House, is located in Bradshaw Drive and is housed in the building formerly occupied by the Gracefields aged care home.
Victorian Minister for Housing, Candy Broad, officially opened the new facility in front of a gathering of around 50 regional and local welfare and support agency representatives on Thursday, 27 July.
The minister said Kalimna House would offer low-income single people in the Healesville and Yarra Valley areas much needed high quality, affordable accommodation.
“Local housing support services have been calling for more affordable accommodation in the Shire of Yarra Ranges for some time and the new homes I’m announcing here today will go a long way to meeting that need,” she said.
Ms Broad said, following advice from the Healesville Historical Society, the property had been renamed Kalimna House as the new homes were located on what was once Kalimna Park, a farmhouse guest house in Healesville.
The property, which now consists of 22 private rooms with en suites as well as large common areas, will be managed by Community Housing Limited (CHL), a not for profit community housing manager.
One of the rooms has been modified to provide accessible accommodation for people living with a disability.
Ms Broad said CHL, together with local agencies, would provide support for tenants and a cooked meal would be available for residents six evenings a week.
Plans to create the new accommodation facility caused controversy in the Healesville community two years ago when nearby residents raised concerned about the impact on the surrounding neighbourhood.
Some residents were concerned that an accommodation facility for single adults on low incomes would attract anti-social behaviour and reduce the safety in the area.
CHL and the Shire of Yarra Ranges representatives have worked with local residents to address concerns about the impact of the facility.
CHL manager, Paul Ryan, said he was confident that consultation with surrounding neighbours had lead to increased understanding of the purpose and nature of the new facility.
“Residents have expressed fears about what could take place here. They were concerned it would be uncontrolled and cause disruption,” he said.
“However, through consultation we’ve been able to explain how the property will be managed and controlled and how we will provide a high level of accountability.”
It is anticipated that Kalimna House will commence operation early in September.