DEAR News Of The Area,

SOMETIMES the opportunity situations bring are revealed after further reflection.

On the issue of affordable housing at a recent Nambucca Valley Council meeting, the resolution that council write to the Federal Government requesting a proportion of the $10 billion Housing Australia funds be urgently released and made available for government and non-government agencies to purchase existing homes and units was a piece of political grandstanding that stuck in my craw.

On reflection I cannot see how council could write to the Federal Government with any sincerity in this matter if they can’t quantify what the housing affordability situation is in the Nambucca Valley.

You can’t write to the government requesting urgent release of funds on the vague assumption that someone is sleeping in their car.

What council hasn’t yet done is measure the need for affordable housing in the Nambucca local government area.

It hasn’t yet measured how many of its households are in rental stress, how many units or dwellings in the valley are available for people on very low incomes, low incomes, and moderate incomes who are renters.

It hasn’t quantified what types of households these are.

It hasn’t looked at the number of housing sales that are available to low-income households nor how many units or dwellings need to be built into the future to accommodate the issues of affordable housing and social housing.

There are businesses that monitor the housing sector and will provide evidence-based data created specifically for each local government area.

Critically you need to subscribe to them.

So maybe writing to the government presents an opportunity for council to engage in a more meaningful way on the supply of its own affordable housing and social housing needs.

City of Coffs Harbour uses this type of data to inform their own affordable housing options papers, affordable housing strategies, and affordable housing plans.

What remains confusing about the resolution to write to the Federal Government to buy existing homes is that the $10b billion housing fund of the Federal Government is for building new homes.

Anthony Albanese, in his recent speech to the Australian Local Government Association, tips his hat to the heavy lifters of local government.

He has said he has “respect and appreciation” for what councils do.

“That local government was a logical partner in the national priority to provide infrastructure that supported quality of life, connected new developments to major community hubs, and delivered more shared facilities.
“It is a key priority for us.”

So, the Federal Government’s Housing Support Program and housing fund is about an ambitious national target of building 1.2 million new, well-located homes in five years.

Nambucca Council has already written and applied for funding from these programs to the tune of many millions of dollars.

I am about trying to get a minimum percentage of those new homes to be allocated as affordable homes.

If the community wants real actions from council (not just the soft actions of advocacy) then members of the community need to fill in the survey on Council’s Community Strategic Plan and tell council that affordable housing, and social housing, are issues of concern.

Then we can take stronger measures on this significant issue together.

Regards,
Susan JENVEY,
Bowraville.