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

Anthony Batts
Jenny Dobson
Lea McAllister
Nikki Treanor
Michael Kellett
Margaret Camp
Rosa Pascoe
Carmel Buckley
Jennifer Castle
Mark Dunn
Penelope Cooke
Louise Jones
Belinda Berkaya
Muriel Lewin
Christine Bain
Julie Emery
Herbert Kinzl
Madeleine Green
Brian Forbes
Richard Wilson
Denis Madeleine
Toby Mills
Doug Lewin
Toni Appleton
Maarten van Yzendoorn
Trevor Innes
Anne Price
Bronte Field
Susan Trusty
Mirtha Christian
1,165
10,000 signatures

Will you sign?

Showing 867 reactions

  • Anthony Batts
    signed 2021-05-01 09:36:40 +1000
    Remove tax lurks for investors re negative gearing for more than one property and no capital gains tax reductions on investment properties. Increase first home owners grant and ceiling for genuine first home buyers
  • Jenny Dobson
    signed 2021-05-01 09:04:12 +1000
  • Lea McAllister
    signed 2021-05-01 08:56:57 +1000
    I have a very close friend who has a working partner,two young children and a beautiful big dog. They are going to be evicted for no reason very soon. My friend is a health professional who works 4 days per week. If a family like this is being evicted for no reason what hope do our most marginalised members of society have?
  • Nikki Treanor
    signed 2021-05-01 07:50:27 +1000
  • Michael Kellett
    signed 2021-05-01 07:18:03 +1000
    Why would you want to holiday in Byron Bay
  • Margaret Camp
    signed 2021-05-01 05:16:33 +1000
    We are surrounded by holiday lets
  • Rosa Pascoe
    signed 2021-05-01 01:22:59 +1000
  • Carmel Buckley
    signed 2021-04-30 22:47:34 +1000
  • Jennifer Castle
    signed 2021-04-30 22:23:41 +1000
    I totally agree with Louise Jones “This is a dire situation. Please limit the population in the Northern Rivers. We don’t have the infrastructure”
  • Mark Dunn
    signed 2021-04-30 22:08:25 +1000
  • Penelope Cooke
    signed 2021-04-30 21:39:44 +1000
  • Louise Jones
    signed 2021-04-30 21:21:55 +1000
    This is a dire situation. Please limit the population in the Northern Rivers. We don’t have the infrastructure.
  • Belinda Berkaya
    signed 2021-04-30 21:05:48 +1000
  • Muriel Lewin
    signed 2021-04-30 20:45:24 +1000
    The money given by Liberal Federal Govt for renovation of rental property has encouraged land lords to remove the Tennent from the property then renovate. Then the property is then rented at a somewhat larger rent well out of reach of struggling families.

    Who are the Federal Government looking after??

    Maybe the likes of Barnaby Joyce or Peter Dutton with their multiple rentals.
  • Christine Bain
    signed 2021-04-30 19:57:10 +1000
  • Julie Emery
    signed 2021-04-30 19:47:50 +1000
    This is indeed a housing crisis. It is brutal out there in the rental world and secure tenure is not guaranteed.

    This very day I am driving to Tasmania so see what is possible there.

    People who provide the services that the new resident expect are very people that are being driven out.
  • Herbert Kinzl
    signed 2021-04-30 19:09:48 +1000
  • Madeleine Green
    signed 2021-04-30 17:51:54 +1000
  • Brian Forbes
    signed 2021-04-30 17:45:52 +1000
    My Yurt designs can help
  • Richard Wilson
    signed 2021-04-30 17:02:16 +1000
  • Denis Madeleine
    signed 2021-04-30 16:55:30 +1000
  • Toby Mills
    signed 2021-04-30 16:46:17 +1000
  • Doug Lewin
    signed 2021-04-30 16:37:21 +1000
    There’s a need for low cost housing the Shire
  • Toni Appleton
    signed 2021-04-30 15:38:09 +1000
    I would add a fourth targeted solution. Because it is the cost of land that makes new housing so expensive, serious consideration must be given to using ‘Crown Land’ for the purpose of constructing affordable housing.
  • Maarten van Yzendoorn
    signed 2021-04-30 14:46:40 +1000
  • Trevor Innes
    signed 2021-04-30 14:24:37 +1000
  • Anne Price
    signed 2021-04-30 14:17:48 +1000
  • Bronte Field
    signed 2021-04-30 14:13:07 +1000
  • Susan Trusty
    signed 2021-04-30 14:09:00 +1000
  • Mirtha Christian
    signed 2021-04-30 13:54:32 +1000
    We’re definitely in desperate need for immediate action from our State Government.

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