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

Gareth Vanderhope
Emily Najdovski
Gavin Imhof
Ivanna Gonzalez-Calero
Isaac King
Paul Simpson
Tony Bowden
Carmel Warnock
Noelle Lynden-Way
Susan Storry
Susie Heardef
Victoria Rhoades
John Davidson
Annabelle Dickson
Sharne Warren
Rachel Gregg
Duncan Dey
Jenny Bond
Leona Ross
Ross Edmonds
Rita Fessler
Neale Newton
Daniel Taylor
Lynette Dickinson
Elizabeth Bartlett
Josephine Gebbett
Richard White
Madeleine Smith
Northern Rivers Women and Children's Services Inc (NORWACS)
Roger Corben
1,165
10,000 signatures

Will you sign?

Showing 867 reactions

  • Gareth Vanderhope
    signed 2023-06-03 00:43:41 +1000
    Wealthy investors are converting long-term rentals into airBnB, decreasing housing supply for locals and increasing rental prices. Interest rate rises are being passed on to renters by investors. Why should we shoulder the risk of their investments? They get tax breaks and can sell their property or re-finance. Excessive rent hikes are akin to white-colar extortion, with individuals and families literally skipping meals and going cold to keep a roof over their heads. That is not a fair transation. That is not ‘the market price’, that is greed. Rent incresaes must be capped, as they are in countries like France and Germany. AirBnB needs to be dramatically reduced. Population growth needs to be reduced until housing supply is adequate.
  • Emily Najdovski
    signed 2023-06-02 22:59:52 +1000
  • Gavin Imhof
    signed 2023-06-02 22:13:13 +1000
  • Ivanna Gonzalez-Calero
    signed 2023-06-02 22:02:59 +1000
  • Isaac King
    signed 2023-06-02 21:54:37 +1000
  • Paul Simpson
    signed 2023-06-02 21:50:08 +1000
  • Tony Bowden
    signed 2023-06-02 21:20:25 +1000
    How about some public housing?
  • Carmel Warnock
    signed 2023-06-02 20:57:26 +1000
  • Noelle Lynden-Way
    signed 2023-06-02 20:16:27 +1000
    Supporting people’s right to access secure, safe and affordable housing.
  • Susan Storry
    signed 2023-06-02 20:07:04 +1000
    Kindly address the housing crisis in the Northern rivers area as a top priority, Thankyou, Susan Storry
  • Susie Heardef
    signed 2023-06-02 20:06:29 +1000
  • Victoria Rhoades
    signed 2023-06-02 19:48:59 +1000
  • John Davidson
    signed 2023-06-02 19:02:22 +1000
    The changes that are being made now are good for existing tenants but are not good for people struggling to find somewhere to rent because the changes being made now make being a landlord less attractive than it used to be. For example, the landlord supplying accommodation for a low income earner pays things like capital gains tax while a much richer person living in a mansion that they own pays no capital gains. Yes, the Greens should be pushing policies that help existing tenants but they should also look at ways that make investment in rental properties more attractive than buying the personal mansion.
  • Annabelle Dickson
    signed 2023-06-02 19:00:35 +1000
    I see that our society is falling apart. Not enough people to work in public services, shops and businesses. If we don’t provide affordable housing for people working in these vital sectors our society will fall apart very quickly.
  • Sharne Warren
    signed 2023-06-02 18:48:32 +1000
  • Rachel Gregg
    signed 2023-06-02 18:12:45 +1000
  • Duncan Dey
    signed 2023-06-02 18:07:18 +1000
    and we all deserve a home that’s not floodprone.
  • Jenny Bond
    signed 2023-06-02 17:59:22 +1000
  • Leona Ross
    signed 2023-06-02 17:53:29 +1000
    The Housing Crisis is not going to be helped by the huge increases in land values recently notified and the Land Tax bills which are to follow for landlords as a consequence. They will have no choice but to pass on their increased costs and therefore rents will inevitably rise. The State Government needs to adjust the valuations down on a one-off basis to allow for the influx of new residents caused by the Covid crisis and the displacements due to the 2022 floods. Also the Emergency Services Levy is now almost as high as insurance premiums. Insurance is becoming unaffordable and, again, landlords will pass this cost on to many tenants. Some landlords will decide to sell their rental property. The housing crisis will become much worse as a result.
  • Ross Edmonds
    signed 2023-06-02 17:32:06 +1000
  • Rita Fessler
    signed 2023-06-02 17:31:10 +1000
  • Neale Newton
    signed 2023-06-02 17:24:40 +1000
  • Daniel Taylor
    signed 2023-06-02 17:21:39 +1000
  • Lynette Dickinson
    signed 2023-05-25 13:40:51 +1000
    Stop negative gearing on any more than one investment property
    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
  • Elizabeth Bartlett
    signed 2023-05-22 09:44:01 +1000
  • Josephine Gebbett
    signed 2023-05-18 12:45:23 +1000
  • Richard White
    signed 2023-05-16 17:31:16 +1000
    There are other options for investment rather than properties that should be homes
  • Madeleine Smith
    signed 2023-05-15 09:49:52 +1000
  • Northern Rivers Women and Children's Services Inc (NORWACS)
    signed 2023-05-15 09:49:07 +1000
  • Roger Corben
    signed 2023-05-15 00:25:56 +1000

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