Social housing advocates are calling on councillors to commit to dramatically increase affordable housing availability in the lead-up to local government elections.
Key points:
- The Housing Trust is pushing local councils to aim for 20 per cent of all new developments to be affordable housing
- Wollongong's Lord Mayor said local governments have little control in the face of developers and the state government
- The MP for Keira wants all levels of government to be responsible for lowering house prices
Housing Trust chief executive Michelle Adair said essential workers such as teachers, hospitality workers have been "priced out of the market".
“We need local leaders that are going to look after all of our local heroes; those people that have got us through the pandemic,” she said.
Ahead of the local government elections in December, the Housing Trust is asking candidates to promise to make 20 per cent of all new developments affordable housing.
Wollongong City Council has no quota for a portion of developments to be dedicated to affordable housing.
Ms Adair also said she wants to know what candidates standing for re-election have "done in the last four years and what [they're] going to do moving forward" about increasing house prices.
"There is a lot councils can do, and we are asking all the candidates to step up," she said.
The Housing Trust will be conducting a comprehensive analysis of various Illawarra councils' plans and commitments towards the issue.
Ms Adair also said she wants to know what candidates standing for re-election have "done in the last four years and what [they're] going to do moving forward" about increasing house prices.
Local governments claim hands tied against skyrocketing costs
Wollongong's Lord Mayor, Gordon Bradbery said local governments struggle to do anything against rising house prices.
"Local government doesn’t have many levers when it comes to affordable housing and what’s driving the difficulties with housing costs isn’t necessarily the levers that we have in our control," he said.
Mayor Bradbery said factors like interest rates, supply and demand and the state government stand in the council's way.
"Councils are continually being eroded in terms of their ability to control development and our planning power and threatened by the state government," he said.
But Michelle Adair said this is no longer a valid excuse.
"We are long past times of blaming the economy, blaming the state government, blaming the Commonwealth," she said.
The New South Wales Member for Keira, Ryan Park, said housing affordability is not the responsibility of any one level of government.
"While the state has a role to play, all levels of government, I believe, need to have a look at this, otherwise, we're going to see an entire generation of people not able to afford a home and it's becoming just as difficult to stay in a home if you're renting with some of the challenges around the rental stress," he said.
'Where are our kids going to buy homes?'
Greens candidate Jess Whittaker is committed to surpassing Housing Trust's challenge, by pushing for thirty per cent of all new developments to be affordable homes.
"Where are our kids going to buy homes?"
"If we just keep selling homes off to investors, we're going to be further entrenching our kids into generation rent," she said.
Ms Adair said she's worried time is running out for those in desperate need of a place to live.
"It's just a recipe for disaster to continue to build homes that nobody's going to be able to rent or buy."
Calls for more affordable housing as 'local heroes' priced out of property market - ABC Local
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