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Warmer Homes, Lower Bills
For many older Victorians living in community housing, winter is not just uncomfortable. It is a calculation. Do you run the heater or save the money? Do you cook a hot meal or keep the power bill manageable?
That is about to change for dozens of older Victorians across 33 households across regional Victoria.
VincentCare Community Housing (VCCH) has secured a grant through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action's Energy Efficiency Community Housing Upgrades program.
The funding will deliver significant energy efficiency upgrades across properties in Mildura, Red Cliffs, Maryborough and Ballarat, providing long-term relief for older residents in Northern and Western Victoria.
Upgrading these homes is not just an environmental decision. It is a housing decision and a health decision. Comfortable, affordable homes let people stay in the homes and communities they know as they get older.
When a home is energy inefficient, that cost lands on the tenant and older residents are particularly affected. They tend to spend more time at home. They are more susceptible to the health consequences of cold or poorly ventilated spaces, and they are far less likely to have savings to absorb a high power bill.
The Homes, and the People in Them
Most of the tenants living in the properties that will benefit from this grant are aged 65 and over. They rely on fixed incomes, and every dollar matters.
For people on fixed incomes, inefficient appliances such as old gas heaters that struggle to warm a room and electric hot water systems that chew through energy translate directly into financial stress, cold nights and difficult trade-offs.
As Alton Gondipon, Trusts and Foundations Manager at VCCH, puts it: "For residents living on fixed incomes, high energy bills can mean choosing between staying warm and buying groceries. The stress of managing those costs shouldn't be something anyone faces in their own home."
What the Upgrades will Deliver
Across all 33 properties, outdated systems will be replaced with modern, efficient alternatives. Works will run through to January 2027.
New heating and cooling units will provide consistent temperature control year-round, not just in winter. Modern electric heat pump hot water systems will deliver reliable hot water while significantly reducing energy consumption. Electric cooktops will replace older models, offering better performance at lower running costs.
These are not cosmetic changes. They are practical, lasting improvements that reduce energy use, lower bills and make a real difference to daily life.
VCCH will provide the required co-contribution and in-kind support across the project, including project management, governance oversight, procurement processes, reporting systems and tenant engagement resources. The organisation's involvement goes well beyond receiving funding. This is a carefully managed commitment to getting it right for the people who live in these homes.
Securing this funding is a genuine win, and it took sustained effort to get here. Identifying the right funding stream, building a credible application, committing to the co-contribution, and designing a project that can be delivered well across four regional locations.
For the residents who will benefit, the impact will be felt in warmer nights, lower bills and a home that finally works for them the way it should.
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That is about to change for dozens of older Victorians across 33 households across regional Victoria.
VincentCare Community Housing (VCCH) has secured a grant through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action's Energy Efficiency Community Housing Upgrades program.
The funding will deliver significant energy efficiency upgrades across properties in Mildura, Red Cliffs, Maryborough and Ballarat, providing long-term relief for older residents in Northern and Western Victoria.
Upgrading these homes is not just an environmental decision. It is a housing decision and a health decision. Comfortable, affordable homes let people stay in the homes and communities they know as they get older.
When a home is energy inefficient, that cost lands on the tenant and older residents are particularly affected. They tend to spend more time at home. They are more susceptible to the health consequences of cold or poorly ventilated spaces, and they are far less likely to have savings to absorb a high power bill.
The Homes, and the People in Them
Most of the tenants living in the properties that will benefit from this grant are aged 65 and over. They rely on fixed incomes, and every dollar matters.
For people on fixed incomes, inefficient appliances such as old gas heaters that struggle to warm a room and electric hot water systems that chew through energy translate directly into financial stress, cold nights and difficult trade-offs.
As Alton Gondipon, Trusts and Foundations Manager at VCCH, puts it: "For residents living on fixed incomes, high energy bills can mean choosing between staying warm and buying groceries. The stress of managing those costs shouldn't be something anyone faces in their own home."
What the Upgrades will Deliver
Across all 33 properties, outdated systems will be replaced with modern, efficient alternatives. Works will run through to January 2027.
New heating and cooling units will provide consistent temperature control year-round, not just in winter. Modern electric heat pump hot water systems will deliver reliable hot water while significantly reducing energy consumption. Electric cooktops will replace older models, offering better performance at lower running costs.
These are not cosmetic changes. They are practical, lasting improvements that reduce energy use, lower bills and make a real difference to daily life.
VCCH will provide the required co-contribution and in-kind support across the project, including project management, governance oversight, procurement processes, reporting systems and tenant engagement resources. The organisation's involvement goes well beyond receiving funding. This is a carefully managed commitment to getting it right for the people who live in these homes.
Securing this funding is a genuine win, and it took sustained effort to get here. Identifying the right funding stream, building a credible application, committing to the co-contribution, and designing a project that can be delivered well across four regional locations.
For the residents who will benefit, the impact will be felt in warmer nights, lower bills and a home that finally works for them the way it should.