The merged organisation will cover the area from Tilba to Berry, including Narooma, Moruya, Batemans Bay, Ulladulla and Nowra, managing well over 500 properties.

Regional manager Kerry Preo said the arduous process of combining the companies began some 12 months ago.

“Both organisations have worked extremely hard with dedication and enthusiasm to establish this merger, which will play a leadership role in the provision of housing and related services in the Shoalhaven and Eurobo-dalla area,” she said.

“South Coast Community Housing will continue to provide affordable, appropriate, quality housing and related services to persons on low to moderate incomes, allocated on the basis of need.”

The idea to merge came in response to a call for funds from Eurobodalla Community Housing Ltd earlier this year.

“In merging, we are looking at growth, which will allow us to bring more funding to the area,” Ms Preo said.

South Coast Community Housing chairman Rhoderick McGee believes the merging of two successful but separate entities is an exciting step towards the future.

“We’ve seen that it is almost like a marriage,” he said. “Together we have more power than separately.”

Ms Preo said the merger would allow the company the ability to deliver a better service for clients - a point close to the heart of Eurobodalla Community Housing’s former board chairwoman Emma Johnson.

“The face of housing has changed in the Euro-bodalla across the past 20 years,” Ms Johnson said.

According to Ms Johnson - who will continue to serve as a member of the newly established board - as the Eurobodalla has grown, infrastructure locally has struggled to keep up.

“We are very excited and positive about this step towards the future,” she said. “However, this is not about sending the job to Nowra to stay. It will still very much be a local board run by local members.”

With a number of developments in the planning stage, the new board certainly has its work cut out.

“Our work is ongoing,” Ms Preo said. “The fact that there is no men’s refuge or suitable temporary accommodation available for people locally is of real concern to us.

“Although there is nothing to announce as yet, we are on the verge of seeing some real progress in this area.

“It’s exciting.”