Vasey RSL Care Wins $45K for Housing Upgrade
Vasey RSL Care has welcomed a $45,000 funding boost from the Allan Labor Government’s Veterans Capital Works 2024–25 grant program to assist with essential refurbishment works at its Geelong affordable housing site.
The grant will go towards completing essential works to a number of units at the site, which comprises 39 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom single-storey homes. These units provide safe, affordable accommodation for veterans and their families in the Geelong region, which has the second-highest concentration of veterans in the state.
As one of Australia’s leading providers of veteran-specific accommodation, care and support, Vasey RSL Care delivers services to around 1,000 ex-service people each year, with the support of more than 660 staff and volunteers. Its work includes an Ex-Service Accommodation program with almost 300 affordable housing units across ten locations in Victoria, residential aged care homes at four sites, and home care services for older Australians wishing to remain in their homes.
Chief Executive Officer of Vasey RSL Care, Janna Voloshin, said “the grant would help maintain high-quality, safe housing for veterans experiencing hardship.”
“This funding will allow us to carry out essential works to ensure our units in Geelong remain safe, secure, and comfortable for veterans who are in need.”
“We are committed to supporting the most vulnerable members of the veteran community, and this grant helps us continue that mission,” said Ms Voloshin.
Vasey RSL Care has also identified a growing need for affordable housing for veterans in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. In response, the organisation is progressing an affordable housing project in Bundoora that is seeing the construction of 20 single-storey units to meet the high demand for veteran housing in the area. Vasey RSL Care continues to actively lobby the Victorian Government for a co-contribution to support the delivery of this much-needed project.
“We deeply appreciate the support of the Victorian Government and hope to build on this partnership to further strengthen outcomes for veterans across the state.”
The Veterans Capital Works Program provides grants to organisations that support veterans and their families, enabling them to improve or maintain buildings and facilities that are essential to their services.
Vasey RSL Care looks forward to continuing its work with government and community partners to support the wellbeing and dignity of Victoria’s veteran community.
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BACKGROUND:
As reported by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide, Australian veterans are almost three times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population and Australian veterans are over twice as likely to die by suicide than the general population.
Veterans are also more likely to have other homelessness risk indicators including being single, unemployed, subject to financial strain, and experiencing a greater number of traumatic life events than the broader population.