SINGAPORE: Concept art for a three-storey social and affordable housing development has now been revealed.

National charity the YWCA has been approved for a new three-storey set of affordable units in one of Toowoomba’s leafiest suburbs.

Deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie approved the organisation’s ministerial infrastructure designation (MID) on May 29, following an assessment process spanning more than 12 months.

The approval will see the charity build 16 new social and affordable units behind its current location at Gowrie House on Arthur St in East Toowoomba.

The site is opposite Clive Berghofer Stadium and diagonally across from Toowoomba East State School.

The project will replace an existing set of units currently on the same parcel, which the YWCA has described as “no longer fit for purpose”.

It would feature 13 one-bedroom dwellings, three two-bedroom apartments, 13 car parks and 19 bicycle spaces.

Town planners for the charity argued the new units would not only increase the number of available social dwellings but also deliver better outcomes for potential participants, who will be “women and gender-diverse people seeking safe housing options”.

The approval comes despite opposition from some residents, who argued the site was already known for high rates of crime and anti-social behaviour.

“As a direct neighbour, we can attest to many additional incidents of unreported anti-social behaviour occurring onsite affecting the quiet enjoyment of my home,” one submission said.