Sixty-five new homes built in Thornton will be "life changing" for future residents and offer "a pathway out of social housing", Communities and Families Minister Gareth Ward believes.
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Much like other government-backed housing projects delivered across the region in recent years, the Thornton development includes a mix of social and affordable homes.
Mr Ward, who unveiled the recently completed project on Wednesday, said the homes would allow some of the region's most vulnerable to live close to work and training opportunities, and help reduce housing stress.
He said the project formed part of the NSW government's plan to provide housing for those who need it and offer opportunities for tenants to move forward.
"At the end of the day, you want to make sure that when people come in to social housing it's not an intergenerational commitment," he said. "The greatest success of any social safety net isn't how many people are in it, it's how many people no longer need it.
"The Future Directions for Social Housing plan is all about seeing housing as a continuum.
"If you're homeless, let's find people temporary accommodation. Let's find them safe and stable housing.
"Can we turn their lives around, can we get them the education they will need, the job that they would like?
"And then build them a life that allows them a pathway out of social housing. That's got to be the focus."
The Thornton development includes 49 two-bedroom, 11 one-bedroom and five three-bedroom homes across a mix of duplex and triplex dwellings.
One tenant soon to receive the keys to her new home is 38-year-old Trudi Wood.
Ms Wood has lived in refuges and cars in the past, and said she was looking forward to having a safe and stable place to call home.
"I feel like I have won the lotto," she said.
"This house will be the start of my new life."
The project was delivered through the government's Social and Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF) in partnership Compass Housing, which is delivering 493 new homes across 19 sites in the Hunter and Central Coast under the SAHF program.
Compass Housing corporate services officer Lyndall Robertshaw said the community housing provider would manage the tenancies and provide support services for future residents.
"The SAHF program is about more than just building houses," she said.
"It is about creating empowered tenants and sustainable communities."
Mr Ward said similar community housing projects would be built and opened in coming years.
"There is absolutely more to come, absolutely, I can guarantee you that, " he said.
"We've delivered about 114 new homes under the [Social and Affordable Housing Fund].
"We've got about another 376 to go, so you can be certain we are delivering more homes for the Newcastle region."
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