CatholicCare Victoria Housing partnered with Homes Victoria for a property development in Sebastopol which has 24 dwellings for people from the Victorian Housing Register.  These homes are a mix of one and two bedrooms.  The target cohort is singles and couples that are reliant on Age Pension, Disability Pension or Jobseeker payments.

On March 28, the homes were blessed and opened.  A smoking ceremony began the celebration, with Kevin Murnane, Chair of the CCVH Board acknowledging the hard work and commitment of all those involved. Bishop Paul Bird prayed a blessing over these homes which can be read below.  Juliana Addison MP was also a part of the official celebration, noting that these new homes are not just a roof over people’s heads, they signify a new beginning and could not be possible without the contribution of the Victorian Government of more than $9 million to the project.  This project also created up to eighty-eight jobs.

A lack of affordable housing often inhibits people in our Victorian communities from accessing the support they need to thrive. Without the safety and stability of a place to call home, it is difficult to address issues around mental and physical health, unemployment, family violence, addiction and entrenched disadvantage and poverty. Social housing is a foundational element of building thriving communities.

CatholicCare Victoria Housing are working with the Victorian state government to deliver social housing projects in Victoria as part of the government’s Big Housing Build. Chief Executive Officer, Fiona Williams, said, “There is always a demand for social housing and with this economic environment it’s likely this will increase. CCVH has developed a strategy to grow the amount of social housing to assist with this demand.”

Bishop Paul’s blessing:

A traditional greeting for a blessing of a new house is, “Peace to this house and to all who dwell here.” This is my prayer for these houses and all those who will make these houses their homes. May they be blessed with peace.

We have a reading from the gospel according to St Luke (10:5-9)

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whatever house you enter, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a person of peace lives there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will come back to you. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is put before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”’ 

Let us pray
Gracious God,
be close to your servants
who move into these homes and ask for your blessing.
Be their shelter when they are at home,
their companion when they are away,
and their welcome guest when they return.
and at last receive them
into the dwelling place you have prepared for them
in your Father’s house,
where you live for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,
and may the word of Christ in all its richness dwell in us,
so that whatever we do in word and in work,
we will do in the name of the Lord.
We offer our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
May almighty God bless us all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.