Shovel-ready plan for affordable housing can't find a backer

Aged care providers say politicians are ignoring a plan that will help provide a solution to a crucial short fall in affordable housing in the Clarence Valley.

COMMUNITY SEEKS HELP: Clarence Village CEO Duncan McKimm and chairman Geoff Shepherd are calling on the government to assist with affordable housing. Picture: Adam Hourigan

POLITICIANS of all stripes must explain why they have turned their backs on a "shovel-ready" plan that could quickly address a crisis in affordable accommodation for local seniors, says a leading aged care provider.

CEO of Clarence Village Duncan McKimm said there had been silence from local politicians about his organisation's proposal to provide 22 affordable rental units in South Grafton.

"The site has been chosen, the plans are made, the development has approval and we have $1million of our own money to put toward it," Mr McKimm said.

He estimated the total cost of the project at between $5.5million and $6million.

Mr McKimm was surprised politicians, in election mode at both State and Federal levels, seemed to ignore the plan.

"We don't want to hold a gun to anyone's head, but we believe the public is owed an explanation why they are not interested in this proposal," he said.

Mr McKimm said the affordable housing situation in Grafton and particularly South Grafton was dire.

"The need is pretty well established," he said.

"The council website yields a fair bit of information around rental stress in South Grafton, social housing where you've got a 10-year wait, the affordability snapshot that Anglicare do for a single person on the aged pension, there is one property in the Valley that fits the criteria.

"That's a snapshot that hasn't changed much in the past three years."

Mr McKimm said Clarence Village had been in discussion with the State Member Chris Gulaptis and Federal Member Kevin Hogan.

"I don't think anyone doesn't understand the problem," he said. "It's more getting someone to be part of solving it."

He said Clarence Village had spent tens of thousands of dollars getting the plans ready for this development, in addition to quarantining $1million to go into "bricks and mortar".

"We're a community-based organisation," he said. "The only ways we raise money is through philanthropy or providing housing and care for seniors in the community.

"This is all money Grafton's raised for Grafton and we're just trying to get a hand in getting it built."

Mr McKimm put the amount of money involved in perspective.

"If they invested the $4.2billion they got from the sale of Snowy Hydro at 2 per cent in 21 days they would have the money for this project," he said.

"It's a lot of money for the Grafton community, but not a lot in the scheme of things for a government."

Originally published as Shovel-ready plan for affordable housing can't find a backer