Families who lost their homes in the summer bushfires in the Towong Shire have begun receiving modular units to live in while they rebuild their homes.
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Ten high-quality, short-term modular housing units have been constructed by Victorian manufacturers Ausco and Modular Spaces and delivered to sites across Towong, as well as in East Gippsland.
Five units are now occupied, 17 more units are under construction and more orders are expected.
The homes - which can be occupied for up to three years while families and individuals undertake their permanent rebuild - are being installed on fire-impacted properties that have now been cleared of destroyed buildings and bushfire waste under the 2020 Clean-Up Program, which was completed on schedule in August.
The units, which cost approximately $150,000 for construction and installation, are rented out to the residents by paying a hiring fee bench-marked to public housing rates, with hardship provisions so fees are never higher than 25 per cent of their household income.
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People who lost their primary place of residence are receiving an additional $15,000 housing assistance payment from the Victorian Bushfire Appeal on top of the $25,000 housing assistance payment disbursed from April.
Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said the government was providing "as many choices and supports" as possible.
"By supporting bushfire-affected residents through the rebuilding process with grants, faster processes and tailored advice, but we all have a responsibility to ensure that homes in bushfire-prone areas are going to be safe to live in," she said.
