New homes, new chapter for Bendigo seniors 

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria and VincentCare Community Housing – with Homes Victoria through the Big Housing Build – deliver new chapter for senior residents in purpose-built homes as Stage 1 of landmark social housing project completed.

On 13 July 2026, forty-two Bendigo residents, all aged 55 or older, began a new chapter as they walked through the front doors of their brand-new, energy-efficient homes in Kennington. Some had lived on the site for years. Others arrived after applying through the Victorian Housing Register; all are now part of a thriving community. 

The event celebrated the completion of Stage one of the social housing development project, delivered by VincentCare Community Housing and St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria, in partnership with Homes Victoria through the Victorian Government's Big Housing Build. 

The event acknowledged a project milestone. Another 42 apartments and townhouses are on the way, bringing the total to 84 new homes at Kennington.

A connection almost 50 years deep 

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria has provided affordable housing to older Bendigo locals on the Kennington site for close to half a century. The original independent aged-living units were built there in 1979. But those buildings had run their course. The redevelopment is replacing them with something purpose-built, modern and fit for the decades ahead.

Twenty-six of the new residents are people who already called this place home. They've been able to stay connected to their neighbourhood, their networks and the community ties they've built over years. That continuity is not incidental. It's the point.

Speaking at the event, VincentCare Community Housing Chair, Tom Quinn, reminded the community that a home is more than bricks and mortar, it should be safety and belonging, with dignity and independence – and that requires a community.

There has been a thriving community at Kennington, built by the Society for nearly fifty years and nourished by the people who have called this place home ever since. And now that community gets the chance to grow a little more.

At the Society and VincentCare Community Housing, we believe everyone deserves a forever home - but sadly too many, don’t have that stability.

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Group CEO Charlie Spendlove was clear about what this project represents.

"This is about giving older Bendigo residents the security of knowing they have a home for the rest of their lives. This is about providing people with the dignity, stability and security they deserve, while helping them remain connected to the community they call home.”

The milestone was marked with a time capsule, filled with memorabilia and photos contributed by residents and the wider community. It will sit inside a shared community centre on site when Stage Two is complete by January 2028. 

Local Partners, Local Jobs, Local Impact

Bendigo-based architecture firm plus e+ architecture and local builder Fairbrother worked with the Society to deliver the project. From design through to construction, the work has been grounded in the Bendigo community. 

VincentCare Community Housing and St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria are delivering 185 new homes in partnership with Homes Victoria under the Big Housing Build across Kennington, Footscray and Wollert. 

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria has been supporting people facing hardship in the Bendigo region for well over a century, through its network of local conferences and Vinnies volunteers. This redevelopment continues that commitment on a site that has mattered to this community for nearly 50 years.