Armidale council approves $1 land deal for affordable homes for vulnerable women

The Armidale City Council approved the sale of the former Guides Hall site on Allingham Street for a nominal $1 to Global Sisters, a nonprofit led by former Armidale resident Mandy Richards. The deal will enable the construction of four architect‑designed modular homes, dubbed “Little Green Houses,” that are intended to be affordable for women on low incomes or in unstable housing situations.

Councillor Eli Imad praised the project as a positive step to empower women into home ownership, while Deputy Mayor Todd Redwood called it an “incredibly important project.” The council also approved rezoning of a nearby park area to support additional affordable housing. The initiative has drawn both support and backlash from local residents.

Global Sisters aims to provide a new model of social housing that puts ownership and assets directly in the hands of women and their families, addressing what Richards described as a broken affordable‑housing system.