But the municipal council is exploring its options to diversify the shire’s housing options, after receiving a $139,400 grant from the state government.

Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing Martin Foley this week announced the Mount Alexander Shire Council as one of 15 recipients of Social Housing Investment Planning grants.

The council will use the funding for a social housing feasibility study and business case.

Mount Alexander Shire Council sustainable development acting director, Ben Grounds said the funding would help the organisation to better understand how it could help to create affordable social housing within the shire, for the people who needed it most.

“Through this grant we will explore social housing needs and demographics, and identify sites that may be suitable for development,” Mr Grounds said.

“There has been no new public housing built in the shire since 2002 and there is strong interest in diversity of housing options in the area.

“Council is thrilled to receive this funding from the Victorian Government.”

The minister said the state government was councils the help they needed to build more modern social housing.

“The quality of the applications we received was very high and I look forward to seeing the impact these projects will have in housing Victorians in their respective communities,” Mr Foley said.

A total of $2.5 million was announced for local governments to plan social housing projects.

Geelong; Glen Eira; Knox; Moonee Valley; Port Phillip; Whittlesea, Hume and Mitchell; Wyndham; and Yarra Ranges shires all received $200,000 – the maximum funding amount.

Mount Alexander was the only central Victorian shire to receive a grant through the Social Housing Investment Planning program.

Other funding recipients included Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Frankston, Hobsons Bay and Warrnambool.

Almost 19,000 people called the shire home in 2016 – an increase of more than 2600 people since the 2001 census.