Tarakan community housing.
Brand new community housing in Tarakan Street West Heidelberg is now being allocated to people selected from the Victorian Housing Register.
Community housing
Tarakan, Heidelberg West.
We’re excited to be managing community housing tenancies at Tarakan, a newly redeveloped Homes Victoria housing site on Tarakan Street, Heidelberg West.
There are 67 social housing 1-3 bedroom apartments being managed by us, with affordable apartments and townhouses neighbouring us.
Tarakan is close to public transport, parks, and shops. It’s also near schools and Melbourne Polytechnic. The site itself features great shared open space, including a playground, barbeque areas and a terrace garden. Tarakan has all the makings of a vibrant, thriving community.
These apartments are allocated to people on the Victorian Housing Register. You need to be registered to be eligible. We can help you apply.
Sneak preview
There are floor plans for the different types of one, two and three–bedroom apartments available to download below.
Check out the video for a sneak peek of the new apartments.
Finishing touches are being made to landscaping and residents are now moving in to these brand new apartments.
On 12 March 2024, Housing Minister Harriet Shing MP, the state member for Ivanhoe, Anthony Carbines and Banyule City Council CEO, Allison Beckwith joined our Board Chair Jude Munro AO and General Manager of Housing and Property Kristie Looney to visit revamped community housing at Tarakan St in West Heidelberg. It’s great to see people moving into these brand-new apartments. One of our residents, Ellie (in black dress) was there to welcome everyone.
Tarakan FAQs
Tarakan on Tarakan Street in Heidelberg West is located 10kms from the city centre of Melbourne in the City of Banyule. It is close to public transport, parks, and shops. It’s also near schools and Melbourne Polytechnic.
Apartments of one, two or three bedrooms which will be allocated in line with public housing size guidelines.
There are four apartments designed for people with a disability.
All the apartments are brand–new, and feature:
- kitchens with an electric stoves
- a small laundry space inside a cupboard
- bedrooms with built in robes
- split system heating and cooling
- outdoor space – either a patio with a bifold privacy and security screen on the ground floor or a balcony on the higher levels
- lift access.
Check out the video and floor plans for more information.
The site itself features great shared open space, including a playground and a terrace garden.
Yes. Bus routes include: 903 and 549 to Northland from Oriel Rd or 513, 514 or 903 from Bell Street to Heidelberg Railway Station.
The train station is accessible by bus and it takes less than half an hour to walk from Tarakan. The station is on the Hurstbridge line.
It’s a ten–minute walk to the Bell Street Mall and Aldi is six minutes away.
St. Pius X Primary School (Catholic school) is next door and Melbourne Polytechnic is three minutes’ walk. Tarakan residents are in the school zone for Charles La Trobe P-12 College.
There are lots of great parks in the area including Ford Park which is a 20-minute walk or 13 mins by bus.
We will talk with you about your needs and match you to an apartment. We will allocate apartments using the Homes Victoria Public housing size guidelines
You will need to make an application for a pet. Be mindful of the fact these are apartments so there are some space limitations.
There are 38 carparks on the ground floor and an off street outdoor area, plus and additional four carparks for people with a disability.
Yes there are two bike rooms available. One has capacity for 21 bikes and the other has space for 36 bikes. There is also a bike repair station.
Your rent is calculated on the following basis:
• 25% or 30% of the assessable income of household members who are over 18 years old. The amount will depend on which housing program you are part of
• plus 15% of the Family Tax Benefit
• and 100% of the Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
Rent Assistance (CRA) is a special payment from the Australian Government to help eligible people pay their rent. If you are eligible, Uniting will calculate the amount of Rent Assistance you are entitled to and will incorporate it into your rent calculation. To apply for Rent Assistance, you must
supply Centrelink with a rent statement, or your Letter of Offer. CRA will be incorporated into your rental payment effective from 1 April 2024. We can assist you with your application.
For more information see our rent setting policy.
Note returning renters have slightly different conditions. If you are a returning renter, contact our tenancy team to discuss your rental conditions at [email protected] or via free call 1800 329 133.
You can have your payment taken from your fortnightly Centrelink payments automatically. This is called the Rent Deduction Service. It is free and your payment will always be up to date. You can also make rental arrears and maintenance payments this way. When you sign your lease, we automatically sign you up for this service.
Sign Up Conditions
You will receive the keys to your new property on the day that your lease commences. This is usually the same day that you sign your lease.
It will be necessary for you to pay two weeks’ rent in advance at the signing of your lease. Your rent is paid in advance throughout your tenancy with Uniting. You will also be required to pay a bond equivalent to one month’s rent. We can help you with a Bond Loan Application if you need us to.
You can pay your first rent payment and bond by bank cheque, money order or internet banking. If paying by internet banking, this must be done one day prior to signing the lease. Our bank details are in the lease agreement.
If you have further queries about rent, please contact our tenancy team at [email protected] or via free call 1800 329 133.
As Centrelink can sometimes take several weeks to process forms, we may ask you to pay a small additional amount each fortnight for the first few months. This is to make up for any arrears that arise because of processing times.
We will contact Centrelink to reduce your payments to the normal level once you are up to date and paying two weeks in advance.
You are required to pay your rent regularly – two weeks in advance.
If you are not receiving Centrelink payments, you can pay your rent by internet banking transfer or direct debit from your account. If paying your rent by one of these methods, you must pay the same amount every fortnight on the due date.
If you have further queries about rent, please contact our tenancy team at [email protected] or via free call 1800 329 133.
Returning renters FAQs
Homes Victoria offers relocated renters the first option of a new home, as part of the redevelopment, provided that the housing meets your needs.
Once you confirm your interest in returning, Uniting (who will be managing the tenancy at Tarakan for Homes Victoria) will match you with an apartment and make a formal offer of housing.
As a returning renter you retain your existing public housing rights, including your existing rent settings. Homes Victoria will provide you with assistance to move to your new home and pay all reasonable costs associated with moving.
If you require support because you are living with a disability, please contact the Reallocations Team at Homes Victoria at [email protected].
Uniting Vic.Tas is one of the biggest community services organisations in the state.
We deliver over 650 programs and services to help people access the fundamentals in life – early years education, housing, and a decent job.
We believe everyone deserves a secure place to call home. We manage 800 social and community housing tenancies in a range of locations around Victoria.
Yes.
Homes Victoria and Uniting are strongly committed to the fair, reasonable, and respectful treatment of all renters. There is a range of protections in place to ensure all renters in Victoria have the same rights.
The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 gives all renters in private, public, and community housing (managed by community housing providers like Uniting), the same rights.
Both public and community housing use a leasing system to provide long–term housing.
You can find more information about your rights as a renter at the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.
As a returning renter, you will retain your current rent conditions for where you live now and existing public housing rights.
However, you may be eligible for Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) once you transition to community housing (I.e., managed by a community housing provider, Uniting). That may alter the rent you pay.
Services Australia has a good page on CRA eligibility.
If you want to discuss, please contact the Homes Victoria Reallocations Team at Homes Victoria on [email protected]
The new site includes both social housing where you will live, and other apartments and townhouses allocated for affordable housing.
Affordable housing is available for people on low to moderate incomes who are struggling to find a place to rent.
This will also include 5% DDA compliant dwellings for disabled consumers.
The mixture of different types of homes at Tarakan means it suits lots of people including individuals and families.
With lots of different people, great facilities, and lots of open space, including a playground and terrace garden, Tarakan has everything needed to create a vibrant and inclusive community
You only have right of return to the site that you previously lived at. You can apply for other places, but you will need to submit an application through the Victorian Housing Register. If you would like to discuss further, please contact the Reallocations Team at Homes Victoria at [email protected].
Yes. We have published floor plans available to download for the different types of one, two and three–bedroom apartments.
We will speak with you about your needs and match you to an apartment. We will allocate apartments using the Homes Victoria Public housing size guidelines.
