Affordable housing needs your help

WITH the average rent for a three-bedroom house tipping $340 a week, Mackay Regional Councillor George Christensen said something needs to be done.

WITH the average rent for a three-bedroom house tipping $340 a week, Mackay Regional Councillor George Christensen said something needed to be done about housing affordability.

On behalf of Council he is calling on developers, building companies, the social housing sector and anyone with vision, to be a part of an organisation which will work to make houses more affordable to rent and buy.

Council is sponsoring the establishment of the Mackay Housing Company which will focus on creating more affordable housing in the region.

Cr Christensen said the company may design and develop its own affordable-housing estates, or they may create a part-mortgage payment system where people can enter a buy-and-rent arrangement. He said the key was to create affordable housing not “cheap” accommodation.

“There is a mindset that affordable housing means 'cheap and nasty' housing. This is not what we are doing; our target is middle class and industry service workers.”

Cr Christensen said it was hoped the Mackay Housing Company would also act as a “conduit” between the Federal Government's National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) and developers.

The NRAS provides rent at 20 per cent below the market price and subsidises developers who commit to the project with an annual $8000 lump sum for each rental property over 10 years.

MRC unsuccessfully applied for 80 NRAS properties last year, they have now applied for the second round of the NRAS.

“The housing company would be a charitable organisation, not a part of council.

“We are looking for people to drive this forward because it can't be owned by council,” Cr Christensen said.

For further information contact David McKendry, 4968 9525, Eunice Donovan, 4968 9469 or visit www.mackay.qld.gov.au.

Originally published as Affordable housing needs your help