As Labor spruiks its $10 billion housing promise, a key provider says help is long overdue for the most vulnerable
The Federal Opposition has offered $10 billion in housing promises but a key service provider has stressed more support for the housing crisis is already long overdue.
Byron Shire
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Labor politicians have gathered on the North Coast to highlight the dire state of the housing crisis locally and across the nation.
But the manager of a key Byron organisation has said regardless of who is in power now or after the next federal election, a boost to emergency help on the ground has long been overdue.
Byron Community Centre general manager Louise O’Connell said the town urgently needed more support for vulnerable people.
While the centre has just announced the impending return of a support hub, in partnership with Creative Capital, Ms O’Connell said the town needed more for this facility to link in with.
“I’ve got to walk back into (the centre) right now and turn vulnerable women away,” Ms O’Connell said.
“There’s nowhere for them to go, there’s … not enough mental health support and there’s definitely no emergency or temporary housing.
“I thinks if any government understood the cost of not having housing for people, they would understand it’s an economic issue as well as a social issue.”
She said the revived Fletcher Street Cottage was slated as a “transitional hub”, but right now, there’s nothing to transition to.
“Sure we can provide them food, wraparound services, and then what?
“It needs to happen yesterday, that’s the problem.”
“We’re exhausted here at the community centre dealing with the crisis at the pointy end and it’s just getting worse every day.
“We’re seeing people come to us who have never asked for help before – women sleeping in cars with their kids, in their work uniforms.
“I need something now. I need emergency accommodation tomorrow. Tonight.”
Federal Shadow Minister Housing and Homelessness Jason Clare gathered with Richmond Labor MP Justine Elliot and Labor mayoral candidate for the Byron Shire Asren Pugh to discuss the matter in Byron Bay on Friday.
Mrs Elliot said the region was faced with “a desperate situation”.
“We’ve had the biggest increase in housing prices right across the nation,” she said.
“We have rental vacancies at 0.3 per cent.
“I think it’s the worst situation across the nation, right here on the NSW North Coast.”
Mr Clare said Labor’s $10 billion Housing Future Fund, announced in the opposition’s response to last week’s federal budget, would lead to 20,000 social houses and 10,000 affordable houses being built across Australia in association with housing-related not-for-profit organisations.
He could not confirm how many of those would be destined for the North Coast but Byron Bay would be high on the priorities.
“They need to be built where the crisis is worst and Byron Bay is one of (those places),” Mr Clare said.
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