Vulnerable residents will soon breathe a sigh of relief as the Reid's Guest House prepares for its reopening next week.
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While the group accommodation will only officially open next Monday with a staggered intake of clientele, The Courier was invited to explore some of the redevelopments that have been made over the past nine months.
Some of these changes included renovations to all bathrooms and kitchens on the three-storey complex as well as the addition of new meeting rooms and a multi-functional space for group activities and information sessions.
Other significant alterations to the '80s-built property included replacing fluorescent lighting with more carbon neutral LED lighting, an upgraded digital CCTV system and a fresh coat of paint for all communal areas.
There has also been three new laundry machines added as well as the introduction of everyday breakfast being provided to clients along with three days' worth of food on arrival.
TEMPORARY CLOSURE A BLESSING IN DISGUISE
Uniting Ballarat senior manager community engagement and support Warrick Davison said the temporary closure of Reid's for the past nine months was unfortunate but vital in ensuring crucial refurbishment works were completed safely.
"It gave us the opportunity to do a number of rectification works throughout the building that we wouldn't have been able to do while we were fully tenanted. So we've taken that chance to upgrade, renovate and do a number of things that we really wanted to achieve," Mr Davison said.
He said it was vital a balance between the heritage of the building and the sorely needed redevelopments were maintained during the construction stage.
"So that's always one of the difficult things with working in a heritage building to be able to bring things up to modern day living, but also keeping in line with the heritage aspects but I think we've been able to achieve that," Mr Davison said.
Mr Davison said the reopening of the housing accommodation would not only assist the return of clients who lived at the facility prior to the blaze but also aid others facing housing challenges.
"So post our fire, we assisted everyone there to source alternative accommodation. Some have remained in Ballarat, some have moved out of the area but we have remained in contact with a number of those people and there are a number of people that have expressed that they wish to return. So they will have first option on returning back when we open next week," he said.
"What we're really engaging on is with the reopening is about making the person's journey through here very supported, and that this isn't the end of the line.
"So we want people if they've experienced a housing crisis, they come in here, that the support is here for them and that we can help them move on to the next stage."
To date one previous resident has been booked to return on Monday.
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HOUSING CRISIS PERSISTS
Speaking on the housing crisis which has continued to persist in Ballarat, Mr Davison said the situation had become more dire over the last several months with the number of rough sleepers in the region skyrocketing.
He said it was imperative the government invested more into the creation of low cost affordable housing to help alleviate housing stress.
"Without that investment into the regions, people are always going to struggle and when people are on Centrelink incomes quite often they just cannot afford to get a foot in the market," he said.
"They're putting themselves into rental stress and paying well over 50 per cent of their income just trying to secure a property which then one little thing happens, an unexpected event, they fall back into homelessness if they can't keep up with their rent."
Fortnightly a single bed costs $399 while a double bed with an en-suite costs $595. Full rental assistance is available to all clients in most cases.
Over the past five years welfare organisations in Ballarat have lost more than 100 temporary accommodation facilities such as pubs and motels.
HISTORY OF REID'S
Reid's Guest House, formerly Reid's Coffee Palace built in 1886, operated as a bakery run by John Reid, originally from New York.
In 1977 the Reid family sold the property which saw many phases including as a restaurant, theatre and functions facility.
Uniting Ballarat purchased Reid's in 2003. The bakery ovens from the '80s still remain intact today in the accommodation's basement.
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