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

Kelly Reiffer
Peter Dickson
Lani Imhof
Edmond Riordan
Heather Riordan
Philippa Cutter
Robert Hollis
Michelle Townsend
Karen Halliday
John McDonagh
Angus Locker
Victoria Sullivan
Christine Lomas
Artemis
Todd Beatson
Geraldine Devas
Christine Priestly
Tracey Adams
Tim Watson
Dallas Cheong
Serena Rando
Clare Duffy
Kyle Bruce
Phillipa Schultz
Michelle Johnston
Prof Ken Josh
Gaye Ingham
James Rose
Mandy Nolan
Faith McKenzie
1,165
10,000 signatures

Will you sign?

Showing 867 reactions

  • Kelly Reiffer
    signed 2021-03-28 21:13:05 +1100
  • Peter Dickson
    signed 2021-03-28 20:39:59 +1100
  • Lani Imhof
    signed 2021-03-28 20:25:15 +1100
  • Edmond Riordan
    signed 2021-03-28 18:20:51 +1100
  • Heather Riordan
    signed 2021-03-28 18:13:41 +1100
  • Philippa Cutter
    signed 2021-03-28 17:29:41 +1100
  • Robert Hollis
    signed 2021-03-28 16:55:31 +1100
  • Michelle Townsend
    signed 2021-03-28 16:50:46 +1100
  • Karen Halliday
    signed 2021-03-28 16:21:58 +1100
    Affordable housing is so needed to many people becoming homeless due to so many rentals changing to Airbnbs. There’s plenty of holiday accommodation from cheap in caravan parks to expensive resorts. It’s time Airbnb stopped and changed back to rental homes. I feel this will be huge at next federal and state elections.
  • John McDonagh
    signed 2021-03-28 15:27:04 +1100
    Urgent Need to fix homelessness in the North Coast of NSW
  • Angus Locker
    signed 2021-03-28 14:31:50 +1100
  • Victoria Sullivan
    signed 2021-03-28 13:23:25 +1100
  • Christine Lomas
    signed 2021-03-28 12:32:36 +1100
  • Artemis
    signed 2021-03-28 08:26:16 +1100
    Everyone deserves a roof over their head
  • Todd Beatson
    signed 2021-03-28 08:21:01 +1100
  • Geraldine Devas
    signed 2021-03-28 07:53:55 +1100
  • Christine Priestly
    signed 2021-03-28 07:35:54 +1100
  • Tracey Adams
    signed 2021-03-28 07:20:05 +1100
  • Tim Watson
    signed 2021-03-28 06:27:40 +1100
    We definitely need affordable housing and to regulate short term rentals
  • Dallas Cheong
    signed 2021-03-27 23:48:12 +1100
  • Serena Rando
    signed 2021-03-27 22:32:24 +1100
  • Clare Duffy
    signed 2021-03-27 21:05:30 +1100
  • Kyle Bruce
    signed 2021-03-27 19:06:47 +1100
  • Phillipa Schultz
    signed 2021-03-27 18:27:19 +1100
    There needs to be more encouragement for owners to long term rent their properties
  • Michelle Johnston
    signed 2021-03-27 17:23:58 +1100
  • Prof Ken Josh
    signed 2021-03-27 13:33:48 +1100
  • Gaye Ingham
    signed 2021-03-27 11:25:29 +1100
  • James Rose
    signed 2021-03-27 10:54:54 +1100
  • Mandy Nolan
    signed 2021-03-27 10:51:54 +1100
    Our Federal governments have abdicated their responsibility to provide affordable secure housing. We need to regulate STHL, and to ensure residents on low and medium incomes have access to housing equity through good social housing programs.
  • Faith McKenzie
    signed 2021-03-27 09:31:14 +1100
    I have been renting in this area for the majority of my last 26 years, and was hoping to finally be able to get a mortgage in 2022 as part of my 10 year plan. That is now impossible with the drastic increase in housing prices. Rent (un)affordability means that once my landlord decides to sell this house where I have lived for 6 years, I will be unable to afford to rent here anymore. I will have to move my children away from this area, and we will likely never be able to afford to come back.

Share