The stretch of Henley Beach Road opposite Henley High has changed. Where modest 1950s public flats once stood, there are now sleek, solar-panelled townhouses and apartments—part of a $48 million project the South Australian Government is calling a model for affordable beachside living.
The new ‘Coast’ development, delivered by Unity Housing and backed by the SA Housing Trust, features 70 homes. Of these, 27 are earmarked for affordable and social rental, with accessibility baked into their design. Another 23 apartments are set aside for seniors, while the remaining 20 townhouses go to the open market. Tenants have already begun moving in.
It’s a shift from ageing red brick to modern living. “Coast is a beautifully designed community,” said Housing Minister Nick Champion, “eco-friendly and best of all, provides social and affordable rentals in an expensive beachside suburb, a stone’s throw from a leading high school.”
Access to transport, schools, shops and the beach shouldn’t be exclusive to those with deep pockets. But how far does this project go in changing that?
Unity Housing CEO Matthew Woodward calls it a “landmark project,” and says it’s designed to blend into Henley Beach South, offering opportunity and dignity to those who live there. The homes meet Supported Disability standards, featuring wider doorways, accessible kitchens, and electric fittings. They’re topped with 700 solar panels and fitted with car chargers. There’s also a communal green space, landscaped paths and—critically—no gas lines.
Yet while the headlines are positive, questions remain.
For starters, there’s the number. Seventy homes in a market where demand is surging won’t shift the needle on its own. A 2023 housing report from the SA Government forecast the need for over 20,000 homes in the coming years across Adelaide. Even with good design and environmental credentials, Coast is a modest contribution to a broader housing crisis.
What’s more, “affordable” remains an ambiguous label. There’s no clear data yet on the rental thresholds for these properties. If they’re not pegged to income (typically 30 per cent or less of earnings), then affordability becomes a moving target—especially in Henley Beach, where house prices and rents have climbed steadily. Without subsidies or rent caps, there’s a risk that the affordable housing on paper may feel out of reach for many on low incomes.
Then there’s the balance within the site itself. Of the 70 homes, 20 are for the open market. These may well fetch high prices, given the location. That creates a split in the project’s demographic, one that could either foster social integration or underscore class divides. Some residents may wonder whether the mix will truly work in practice or become a quiet divide between subsidised and market-rate households.
There are other trade-offs too. Redeveloping public housing means disruption. The 1957 flats that once stood here were demolished in 2018. What happened to those who lived there? Unity Housing’s earlier statements mention relocation support, but no specific details have been shared in this release. For long-term residents displaced by bulldozers and blueprints, the new homes may feel like a promise fulfilled too late—or not at all.
Local builders and designers are proud of the finished product. Centina’s Managing Director, Paul Nardinocchi, said the project aligns with the company’s mission to positively impact communities. “The townhouses and apartments provide much-needed social and affordable housing… in an exceptional location only minutes to the beach,” he said. The architectural team at City Collective, meanwhile, aimed to reflect the coastal character in design, with the green space acting as a social anchor.
Residents in Henley Beach South may have mixed feelings. Some welcome the vibrancy new neighbours will bring, while others raise concerns about traffic and density. The project sits opposite a major school and on a busy road. It’s close to shopping, parks, and the beach. But infrastructure hasn’t magically expanded. Whether the area can comfortably absorb more households is something time will answer.
Local Labor candidate Aria Bolkus, who grew up nearby, is backing the project. “With public transport options within a couple hundred metres… this is the perfect spot,” she said, pointing to the development’s proximity to schools like Henley High and Henley Beach Primary. Her personal connection adds weight to the political narrative of fairness and local investment.
Yet the broader political story is more complicated. This project comes under the Malinauskas Government’s wider push for housing reform. It follows the SA Housing Trust’s “Renewing Our Streets and Suburbs” program, which transfers ageing public stock to community housing providers for redevelopment. Champion insists it’s working. But housing advocates argue the scale is too slow to match demand.
Last year, $1.5 billion was earmarked for infrastructure to support land releases in Hackham and Dry Creek, but that only covers part of what’s needed. Critics worry that without proper infrastructure and faster builds, good intentions may stall.
Even so, Coast is a step in a direction that many residents and policy watchers have been calling for—well-located housing that’s thoughtful in design and varied in use. Whether it becomes a model replicated elsewhere or a one-off by the sea depends on how accessible the homes truly are, and whether residents—new and old—feel it lives up to the promise.
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