Labor promises $30m for Northern Rivers affordable rentals if elected as impacts of housing crisis laid bare

The housing situation is so dire in the Northern Rivers that homelessness support workers have found themselves without a place to live, a social services boss has revealed at a funding announcement.

Labor has promised a $30m affordable housing funding injection to build rentals across the Northern Rivers – if they manage to nab government at the upcoming state election.

The announcement prompted a social services worker to reveal homelessness support workers have even found themselves homeless or sleeping rough after the floods.

It comes after the current state government announced in November last year it was entering into a partnership with Lismore City Council and as many as 64 new affordable units would be constructed in a $20m boost to housing supply.

NSW Shadow Housing and Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson joined Lismore MP Janelle Saffin at Lismore Transit Centre to announce Labor's plan on the back of last year’s record floods.

“We’ve come with Janelle (Saffin) to announce $30m to build affordable rentals right across the region,” Ms Jackson said.

Under Labor’s plan, Landcom would be tasked with delivering the rentals over two years.

Landcom would identify existing surplus government land and work with the council on potential development sites.

SW Shadow Housing and Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin speak about the housing plan.

“We want to put government land on the table, reconstruction authority land, council land and private land – if people are keen to be a part of this journey of delivering affordable rentals,” Ms Jackson said.

“But the money is there to start construction and to get moving as soon as we possibly can.”

The number of people battling with homelessness and sleeping rough has spiked since the floods swept the region.

Ms Saffin said when she brought Landcom to the region she asked councils to reveal what land they could offer up so partnerships could be formed to deliver housing.

“We know that the NRRC (Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation) has over 300 expressions of interest of land as well, so we can look at that land as well,” she said.

“We don’t end homelessness if we don’t have housing supply.”

Social Futures chief executive officer Tony Davies said he was pleased to see the funding targeted at the Northern Rivers.

He said a large portion of funding to address homelessness and housing issues did not “get beyond the boundaries of the capital cities”.

Mr Davies said Social Futures was noticing “more and more” homeless individuals and families – including those on dual incomes.

Social Futures CEO Tony Davies.

“That’s because they can’t get affordable housing,” he said.

“We know people want to come here and work but they can’t get housing.

“Funding is vital – we have homelessness workers who themselves are homeless.”

“We have people living in all sorts of arrangements in the Northern Rivers, and it’s important to get building soon.”

Last year’s announcement by the government by Families and Communities Minister Natasha Maclaren-Jones revealed Landcom had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the council to develop up to 24 units on Bristol Circuit in Goonellabah.

Ms Maclaren-Jones said the plan also included 40 units on Cynthia Wilson Dr in Goonellabah and that a community housing provider was involved.

Currently Social Futures, a social services provider, works with more than 10,000 people in the Northern Rivers, thousands of them homeless.

“We know from our mental health and family work the cost, insecurity, and lack of housing sits at the root of some of those really difficult challenges these people are facing.”