Tiny homes could help solve Northern Rivers huge housing crisis

Tiny homes costing just a fraction of the price of traditional housing could help solve a massive housing crisis which has more than 1100 sleeping rough in New South Wales right now.

Tiny homes cost just a fraction of the price of traditional housing and could help solve the massive housing crisis which sees more than 1100 sleeping rough in New South Wales.

The minuscule homes start at 80k, a far cry from the $550k median house prices in flood affected Lismore or $3 million if you’re from Byron Bay.

For a region like the Northern Rivers, plagued with housing insecurity due to natural disasters, the ‘Hemsworth affect’ and an all round lack of affordable housing – some pioneers think tiny is the way forward.

Peter Wigley is CEO of Tiny Homes Australia and believes tiny homes could give people unable to get on the region’s prohibitive property ladder a leg up.

Peter Wigley with one of his tiny homes.

“When I was travelling around Australia about six years ago in a caravan I came across an article on tiny homes and I thought ‘this is a complete game changer. Caravans can be nice for a while but with a tiny home you can get something really special, so I set up the company with my cousin and we are so busy now, it’s crazy,” he said.

Sam Commerford, who established Uber Tiny Homes in Byron Bay, agrees and says the demand for his mini homes is so great he’s running an online course to teach customers how to build their own tiny homes.

A trade qualified carpenter, Mr Commerford built his first tiny home six years ago while working in the residential sector.

Byron Bay man Sam Commerford is building Uber Tiny Homes. Picture: supplied

“I’m already involved with a Zen School in town, we’re into meditation and we’re all into simplistic type living,” he said.

“That’s where it all came from for me personally.

“Then gradually that lead onto another build and then another build which is now a full time business in Byron.”

Demand for housing has seen Uber Tiny Homes create homes across Australia.

“I’ve built some that went to the Gold Coast and my current job is being shipped to Adelaide,” Mr Commerford said.

Byron Bay man Sam Commerford is building Uber Tiny Homes. Picture: supplied

A government-backed state street count over the past month found more than 40 per cent of the 1,131 people sleeping rough in New South Wales lived on the North Coast.

Byron Shire, with 198 rough sleepers, is second only to the City of Sydney council area with 272 in terms of problem areas.

Other North Coast locations high on the list include the Tweed Shire with 58, Lismore 48, and Coffs Harbour 41.

What was an already dire housing crises in the Northern Rivers was exacerbated by this year’s unprecedented flooding.

Peter Wigley believes that not only do tiny homes look good but they could help to rehouse people in flood affected regions.

He has teamed up with his wife, a Lismore based psychiatrist, Dr. Dang Nguyen to advocate for a tiny homes community for flood affected people.

“I made a submission to the NSW regional housing taskforce on housing affordability. My feeling is that an intentional tiny home community is a much needed solution for the serious problem we are facing, for the countless people who have been displaced in the Northern Rivers,” he said.

According to Mr Wigley many tiny homes weigh under three tonnes and can be moved in times of crisis.

“One of the questions they have is where are they going to put all the people affected by the floods in Lismore.

“We’re talking about creating a community in a flood affected area that has capacity to be mobile, meaning our homes can be moved if they need to be relocated to higher ground,” he said.

Sam Commerford says his tiny homes can help younger people priced out of housing in the region.

“There are so many dwellings here, if we could have a tiny house set up on the side, it would really take the pressure off.”

Rental prices in Byron Bay have skyrocketed and now average around $585-680 a week for a one bedroom and $1500-2000 for a four-bedroom house. In flood affected areas of the Northern Rivers rents are climbing on par with urban centres averaging at $295 a week for a one bedroom and $650 a week for a four-bedroom house.

Meanwhile a 2 bedroom, 2 loft Uber Tiny home starts at 80k and building your tiny home yourself will reduce costs.

“You can build a Ford or a Ferrari, the materials vary so much,” Mr Commerford said.

Byron Bay man Sam Commerford’s Uber Tiny Homes. Picture: supplied

Uber Tiny Homes also runs an online school to teach people how to build their own tiny home.

“One course is to teach people how to build a tiny home themselves from scratch,” he said.

“Another one is on how to be an owner-builder so they can then organise local trades in their area.

“Everyone’s booked up so if people become owner-builders it can save a lot of time and really help them out,” Mr Commerford said.