Should old hospital become affordable housing?

A NEW proposal for the site has attracted mixed opinions.

Mullumbimby Hospital. Photo Blainey Woodham / The Northern Star. Picture: Blainey Woodham

A NEW idea has emerged for the future of the Mullumbimby Hospital site to turn it into affordable housing for single mums.

Jenni Dagley posted on Byron Bay Community Board a proposal was being "put forward to save the Mullumbimby hospital site” - to re-jig the building as a sort-of women only refuge.

She wrote: "To all single mothers who would like to be heard in regards to the shire's lack of affordable housing your voices need to be heard. You can write 25 words on your personal experience in the shire...by this Friday at midday.”

She said the idea for the site was to create a sustainable asset.

The post attracted mixed responses from community residents, some were interested, but others weren't pleased by the idea of excluding the opposite sex and single parents in general.

"I guess the idea of just women at this point is that many women have survived domestic violence and rape and are not very comfortable around men,” Ms Dagley wrote.

Other ideas for the site were low cost or interim emergency accommodation, or a space for for homeless youth.