The funding was part of $160,000 awarded to properties across the Hunter as part of the state government’s Social Housing Community Improvement Fund.

The money will be used to install permanent seating, perform gardening and landscaping and set up a brand new barbecue area for the people who live in the 17-unit social housing lot.

The residents celebrated with a lunch last week and created an art work with their hand prints and spray paint that will hang in the Compass Housing office.

Ian Borland, who has lived at the Yarrum Avenue estate for 17 years, said the upgrades were “a long time coming”.

“I’m not excited, I’m thrilled – and that’s dangerous at my age, getting thrilled,” he said.

“It will bring us a focal point if people want to come out and have a chat, or get together in a bit of a group and have a cuppa instead of isolating.”

Compass Housing executive manager for the Hunter Kirsten Adam said the upgrades would encourage the permanent residents to be outdoors and socialise.

“There’ll be a community garden, a barbecue and covered seating,” she said.

Compass Housing’s general manager of operations Lisa Tierney projects from across the state that were successful in winning grant funding ranged from lighting improvements to a Dreamtime Reconciliation Park.

She said Compass Housing had been successful in all grant applications it had lodged with the fund.

“This funding from the Social Housing Community Improvement Fund will help Compass Housing to improve the amenity of a number of areas across the Hunter Region, an area that we have been helping to house the vulnerable for over 30 years,” she said.

“The Social Housing Community Improvement Fund aims to create better and stronger social housing communities by providing one off grants to physically improve areas adjacent to social housing properties.”