St Thomas More College’s, a new $47 million affordable student accommodation facility in Crawley, was officially blessed and opened today.
The student housing, which has enabled the college to increase its student population capacity from 170 to 399, provides 245 studio and one-bedroom rooms.
Construction work began in July 2014 and ended in August 2016. The facilities enable students to access study and print media rooms and a 24-hour gymnasium, as well as providing bike and surf ski storage.
St Thomas More College received incentives to construct the affordable accommodation through the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).
NRAS offers incentives for developers to build and rent new accommodation at least 20 per cent below the market rate for up to 10 years to people on low-to-moderate incomes.
The NRAS is a Federal Government initiative delivered in partnership with States and Territories to encourage large-scale investment and innovative delivery of affordable rental housing. The Department of Communities has carriage of the scheme in Western Australia.
Since 2008, the NRAS has delivered 4,205 rental opportunities across WA – benefiting thousands of people previously struggling to afford private rental accommodation.