Housing Affordability Crisis

Housing

ACTION TO ADDRESS THE  HOUSING CRISIS IN THE NORTHERN RIVERS

There is hardly any affordable or secure housing available for people in our area to rent or buy. Many people have had to move out of the area, away from their friends, support networks, jobs, schools and community. Uprooting people is a symptom of a crisis not a cure for one.

We have seen unprecedented housing stress in the Northern rivers, brought about by: the rapid growth of an unregulated short-term holiday letting industry, increases of up to 30% in property values, almost no supply of rental properties for residents and urban buyers flocking to the area during Covid-19.

At any one time there are 2000-3000 houses in the Ballina electorate that have been booked through short-term holiday letting agencies. That’s an average of 6000 adults and 6000-10,000 children who reside in our community who could live in those homes if those properties were available as permanent rentals.

We must support people’s right to access secure, safe and affordable housing. Housing insecurity affects everybody in our community; the homeless, people in public and community housing, private renters, first home buyers, single parents, women, children and everyday working people.

To the NSW Premier and the State Government,

The housing crisis in the Northern Rivers is in desperate need of targeted solutions. To ensure people in our community have access to safe and secure housing options. We are asking you to:

  • Support Byron Shire Council to Regulate short-term holiday letting in Byron 
  • End no-grounds evictions in NSW, and
  • Amend the affordable housing SEPP to provide 30 year leases

Please sign the petition calling on the NSW State Government to take meaningful action to end the housing crisis in our region.

Who's signing

Donna O'Brien
Louise Gordon
Jason Earley
Sue Waters
Shanice Binge
Margaret Pickup
Sarah Harvey
Gail Mensinga
Michele Grant
Rachel Buchan
Brandon Saul
Jacqueline Franklin
Jonathon Bond
Sarah Davis
Lyn Tune
Drusi Megget
Diana De Vries
Roland Osses
Rick Andrewartha
Esther Zellweger
Marilyn Perkins
Anne Picot
Jeremy White
Carlie Jupp
Josephine Hawkins
Rick Van der Klei
Lesley Short
Nessy Allen
Conor Hawkins
Louie Hill
1,164
10,000 signatures

Will you sign?


Showing 866 reactions

  • Donna O'Brien
    signed 2023-09-16 23:27:46 +1000
  • Louise Gordon
    signed 2023-07-19 08:25:21 +1000
  • Jason Earley
    signed 2023-07-15 21:20:13 +1000
  • Sue Waters
    signed 2023-07-12 10:35:15 +1000
  • Shanice Binge
    signed 2023-07-11 21:39:23 +1000
  • Margaret Pickup
    signed 2023-07-04 19:17:34 +1000
    Housing is a basic right, not a privilege. The housing crisis in the Northern Rivers needs to be resolved by providing secure, safe and affordable housing options. Locally this can be achieved by:

    • supporting Byron Shire Council to Regulate short-term holiday letting in Byron

    • ending no-grounds evictions in NSW, and

    • amending the affordable housing SEPP to provide 30 year leases
  • Sarah Harvey
    signed 2023-07-04 10:46:35 +1000
  • Gail Mensinga
    signed 2023-07-04 08:51:39 +1000
  • Michele Grant
    signed 2023-07-04 08:41:55 +1000
  • Rachel Buchan
    signed 2023-07-03 07:24:16 +1000
  • Brandon Saul
    signed 2023-07-02 18:10:30 +1000
  • Jacqueline Franklin
    signed 2023-07-01 22:59:42 +1000
    Everyone deserves a home, I want everyone to be housed wherever they maybe. In the NSW north west, learning of many wandering homeless people up here, most recent mention Bingara. This is inhuman. I remember G. Berejiklian in her day on homeless week, whereby Tents & homeless people were placed in Sydney as TV reported, her request it appears, was to the Police to move them on it appears. From that day as televised, I disliked her. Being homeless is inhumanity in itself assisted by High property/Rental/ increased RBA rates/increased: Power prices/ Shire Councils Rates/Higher Hecs/Road Tolls increase all jointly all hurt people left without manageable living affordability future in sight engenders increased mental health depletion, also personal safety insecurity, domestic violence and homelessness, enhanced current cold winter weather conditions, if raining may worsen human survival. In a wealthy country, this is abominable and unacceptable.


    I accept and have signed your petition re homelessness to the N S W State Gov.’t., is not just Byron Bay, Tamara. The problem appears statewide.


    The past N S W Liberal/National State Gov’t should hold their heads in shame, not leaving appropriate funding for past flood victims and unfinished projects as media reported Approx.,12 years Gov.,& non Gov., house unmet urgent building housing project needs, with other big budget preplanned projects all handed down to the new current as reported Labor Gov’t., by Liberal Nationals, as reported appears unforgivable. Let us not forget


    Kind regards

    Jacqueline Franklin

    01.07.2023..
  • Jonathon Bond
    signed 2023-07-01 22:43:48 +1000
  • Sarah Davis
    signed 2023-07-01 20:23:42 +1000
  • Lyn Tune
    signed 2023-07-01 13:58:46 +1000
  • Drusi Megget
    signed 2023-07-01 13:46:03 +1000
  • Diana De Vries
    signed 2023-07-01 09:58:55 +1000
    What a disgrace!!
  • Roland Osses
    signed 2023-07-01 08:23:17 +1000
  • Rick Andrewartha
    signed 2023-07-01 07:16:26 +1000
  • Esther Zellweger
    signed 2023-06-30 21:10:19 +1000
  • Marilyn Perkins
    signed 2023-06-30 21:10:17 +1000
    The housing affordability crisis in our area is huge. It will take many initiatives, and absolute commitment from all levels of government, to address. This petition is calling for commitment to three initiatives, as a start.
  • Anne Picot
    signed 2023-06-30 19:20:35 +1000
    Dismayed that so many people affected by the Northern Rivers catastrophic flooding events are left camping in damaged houses or temporary accommodation with still no word about any help from the NSW Government. Not good enough.
  • Jeremy White
    signed 2023-06-30 19:05:12 +1000
  • Carlie Jupp
    signed 2023-06-30 18:57:13 +1000
  • Josephine Hawkins
    signed 2023-06-30 18:55:49 +1000
  • Rick Van der Klei
    signed 2023-06-30 18:27:06 +1000
  • Lesley Short
    signed 2023-06-30 18:13:49 +1000
    Far to few houses this is a disgrace for Australia
  • Nessy Allen
    signed 2023-06-30 18:09:11 +1000
  • Conor Hawkins
    signed 2023-06-30 17:59:04 +1000
  • Louie Hill
    signed 2023-06-30 17:54:35 +1000