Tiny homes trial targets local housing needs

Lake Macquarie City Council will trial the introduction of ‘tiny homes’ affordable housing in Belmont North as part of a multi-pronged approach to tackle Australia’s housing crisis. 

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Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz said the innovative trial, to be undertaken in partnership with service provider Allambi Care, was one of the ideas that supported the recommendations from the housing forum Council hosted in April.

“We had more than 80 people from dozens of organisations and government departments in one room, and the clear message was that there is no single solution to housing shortages in our region,” Mayor Adam said.

“But there was also a determination throughout the group that we must be brave, we must innovate and we can’t just keep doing the same thing and expecting things to change.”

“We need to lean into new opportunities and work together.”

Council’s multi-faceted approach will also focus on new planning frameworks and financial incentives to encourage affordable housing developments.

Under the tiny homes trial, two self-contained, affordable and transportable homes a fraction the size of traditional housing will be moved onto Council-owned residential land in Belmont North.

The homes will be made available to families who need them most, via Allambi Care, a multi-disciplined and recognised leader in the human services field working across the Hunter Region, Central Coast and Victoria.

Allambi Care CEO Simon Walsh said his organisation was proud to partner with Council to deliver innovative housing solutions supporting vulnerable community members.

“The use of a tiny home is a practical and cost-effective way to address housing affordability and tackle homelessness, providing safe, dignified and immediate shelter for those in need,” he said.

“This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to creating inclusive communities where everyone has a place to call home”.

Mayor Adam said plans were also underway to install three prefabricated homes as an interim housing measure on under-utilised strategic land holdings nearby at Belmont.

“These are relatively small projects but that doesn’t reduce their importance,” he said.

“They aim to provide proof of concept, and if they work, they could create a solution blueprint with potential to be rolled out much more widely.”

“A key outcome from the Housing Forum was to maximise the potential use of under-utilised land, and this initiative does just that.”

Possible changes to Council’s Development Contribution Plans are also in the pipeline to incentivise affordable housing.

“We heard from multiple stakeholders at the Housing Forum that Development Contribution Plans should do more to encourage rather than deter affordable housing developments,” Mayor Adam said.

“It’s something we should be acutely aware of when we consider the latest version of our contribution plans next month.”

Council is also due to table a motion at this week’s National General Assembly of Local Government, proposing a dedicated local infrastructure fund for regional communities struggling with housing affordability.

A Housing Forum Outcome Report and Action Plan is due to go to Council on 30 June.