Foundation and Hesperia submit Development Application for significant social and affordable housing project

March 5, 2024

Foundation Housing and Hesperia have submitted a joint Development Application (DA) for a significant social and affordable housing project, along with a substantial commercial development at DevelopmentWA’s Murdoch Health and Knowledge Precinct (MHKP).

This innovative development approach will deliver essential affordable housing options for the future MHKP workforce, including occupations such as nurses, health support roles and staff for nearby educational institutions. The DA has been submitted to the City of Melville.

The Foundation Housing project located on the corner of Barry Marshall Parade and Fiona Wood Road is a 24-storey building containing 216 build-to-rent dwellings. The development is intended to comprise 151 affordable housing units (70%) and 65 social housing units (30%), substantially increasing the social housing available within the Southern Metropolitan region. Foundation Housing will make a submission for partial Federal funding support as part of the Housing Australia Future Fund.

The collaboration involves Hesperia acting as Development Manager for the Foundation Housing project on Lot 121, while constructing its own 13-storey commercial building on the adjoining Lot 120. The joint development approach provides a wide range of benefits, including streamlining the design, approval and construction processes, ensuring greater efficiency in successfully delivering both these significant developments in a timely way.

Foundation Housing CEO Chris Smith emphasised the project’s significance for the organisation and its customers: “At the current time, affordable and social housing in the Murdoch area is limited, however the local workforce will grow significantly from 2024 onwards, meaning more demand for affordable housing. We are very pleased this project will make a real contribution to providing new housing to people who have been struggling to find appropriate accommodation in Perth.” 

“This project is the largest undertaken by Foundation Housing and will help underpin future developments in the metropolitan area that will provide more accommodation for key workers and people on the social housing list.” 

Hesperia Managing Director Ben Lisle said, “We are delighted to be supporting Foundation Housing in providing much needed affordable and social housing which we see as being an area of significant need for the State now and into the future.” 

We are very pleased this project will make a real contribution to providing new housing to people who have been struggling to find appropriate accommodation in Perth.”

Lot 121, covering 2,335m2, is controlled by Foundation Housing and in addition to the affordable and social dwellings, incorporates approximately 780m2 of ground floor retail space. The site will include 174 residential car bays and 20 public/retail parking bays. The retail area on the ground floor will be easily accessible through public parking on level one. Lot 120, covering 2,370m2, is controlled by Hesperia and will include 13,405m2 of commercial tenancy space and 326 parking bays.

The development application envisions public art opportunities across the four-storey podium, similar to those at the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre and Telethon Kids Institute. Both buildings have detailed sustainability strategies, including a 5-star green star rating requirement and regenerative design elements that will allow for significant repurposing in the decades ahead. Lots 120 and 121 are adjacent to Hesperia’s Murdoch Square development, which integrates health, education and hospitality providers.

Foundation Housing is committed to delivering housing outcomes and looks forward to delivering this significant social and affordable housing project in partnership with Hesperia, an organisation with a proven track record of delivering high-quality projects.