The future of affordable housing in Melbourne might look like this: apartments less than 25 square metres in size, common spaces instead of private balconies and no car parking.
A permit was refused at a meeting in February, when Merri-bek councillors raised concerns about the amenity of the apartments. Studios were listed at 22.5 square metres – roughly the size of the living room in a detached house. Some changes to the development were made in the process of the VCAT appeal, with the smallest apartments growing slightly to 24.5 square metres. The number of dwellings proposed was also cut from 33 to 24 to alleviate a potential lack of daylight in some apartments.
“People need homes to live in. You can’t acknowledge the housing crisis with one breath then block good-quality housing with the next,” he said. “Due to the modest size of the apartments, Cysur is an affordable housing choice for single occupants and couples with no children on a moderate income,” Honey said.
Honey said that communal spaces were often overlooked in residential developments and that those in Cysur would be generous and well-designed.