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Housing Affordability Crisis
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.
Showing 867 reactions
They have seen an increased demand for services over the past 2 years.
Clearly this is a significant issue that needs to be addressed.
The fact this region is now heavily touristy is a great tragedy. Yes, the community connectivity is being lost; yes, money talks and money walks for those already rich with property assets; yes, there is an avoidable housing issue on the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. This signature is in support of the Greens Party’s declared amendments to the housing policies the Government initially put in place to try and bring about (unsuccessfully) equity and justice.
Location, location, location. Byron Bay and surrounds are arguably some of the most sort after geographies in the world to co-habitate. If there’s one, overarching lesson learnt from financial dealings in the last year, it’s that unrestrained economic capitalism that further concentrates wealth with a select echelon is unsustainable, immoral, and unethical. So, capitalism is unsound, but communism is equally unsound. Hmm… What can we do?
Hoping the community can reunite, once these holiday rental policies are amended.
All the best to those going into survival mode right now.
End Air BnB in Byron and give the council power to regulate against all the enclosed garages, “studios”, and dodgy extensions to create 6 and 7 bedroom homes that are then rented out to 10 adults!