Multi-storey social housing development to be finished by year end
Five storey apartment block taking shape as Coffs Harbour residents still likely to wait more than a decade for a house.
Coffs Harbour
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Mission Australia’s bold new social housing development in the heart of Coffs Harbour is on track for a 2021 completion.
The $8.6 million contemporary social housing project on Duke St has been progressing at a cracking pace since it was announced in 2020 and will feature 40 one-bedroom apartments, each with its own kitchen and ensuite.
Regional manager Charoah Evans said work on the units and the Mission Australia Centre next door are both due to be completed by the end of the year.
Mission Australia Centres are community hubs that provide access to a variety of support services including housing and homelessness services, health and wellbeing support and social inclusion activities, all within a single location.
The charity are funding the centre entirely by donations and while the final cost of the building has not yet been revealed, more than $2.1 million has been sourced for the project.
A further $162,650 has been contributed by the state government through its Infrastructure Grants Program, with a formal announcement due on Monday.
Ms Evans said the money would go towards the building’s ground-floor community space fit out.
“The centres fit-out reflects feedback from the community. Features include workshops areas, consultation rooms, culturally sensitive spaces and artefacts, and ample room for a variety of community activities.
“Mission Australia is thrilled to receive this grant towards the to fit out the centre, as part of our continued commitment to help end homelessness and ensure people and communities across the Mid North Coast can thrive.
According to the NSW Government latest social housing figures, which have not been updated on the Family and Community Services website for more than a year, there is still a 5-10 year wait for one unit apartments in Coffs Harbour. In Woolgoolga its more than 10 years.
The wait for a property with two or more bedrooms in Coffs Harbour is more than 10 years and there are almost 800 people on the general waiting list with a further 38 listed as priority.
A spokeswoman for the NSW Department of Communities and Justice said it releases information about the estimated waiting times for social housing yearly.
“Data is currently being collated and processed for 2020-21, with updated figures expected to be released in the coming months,” she said.
Ms Evans said Cowper was 10th in a list of top electorates experiencing rental stress, with an estimated 7,698 households experiencing pressure.
“On the Mid North Coast there are 2,912 households on the social housing waitlist and there has been a 73 per cent drop in private rental vacancies,” she said.
Various levels of government have been attempting to assist during an escalating housing crisis, with even Coffs Harbour City Council looking at ways they might be able to help in a policy area that has traditionally been the focus of state and federal governments.
Meanwhile, the Mission Australia CEO James Toomey has urged Australians who are experiencing “hidden homelessness” to make sure they accurately record their living situation in the upcoming census.
The 2016 Census showed 116,427 people across the country were without a safe, secure place to sleep at night and Mr Toomey said the “bigger picture” was that most people experiencing homelessness were hidden from plain sight.
“We know from the most recent Census data that the majority are living in severely crowded dwellings, couch surfing temporarily with friends or family, or living in crisis accommodation, a shelter, refuge or boarding house,” Mr Toomey said.
“For the Census data to truly reflect the extent of homelessness, it is important that everyone who is homeless – including those who may not previously have realised they’re homeless – report their living situation accurately.
“We call on everyone who is living in insecure, unsafe and temporary places to participate in the Census and have their voices counted.”
Mr Toomey said in response to the question ‘Where does the person usually live?’ anyone without a safe, secure home should record their suburb as ‘none’.
“This applies to people who are sleeping rough, as well as people who are couch surfing or if they are away from home due to eviction or a family dispute.
“If a housing or homelessness service has provided a person or family with temporary accommodation, they are encouraged to write ‘NONE – CRISIS’ under ‘Suburb/Locality’.
“By accurately reporting the scale of the homelessness problem in Australia, we can gain a greater understanding of what actions are sorely needed to end homelessness in our nation altogether.”
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