Tweed Shire Council join Byron in declaring a housing emergency

Councillors will be calling on the state and federal governments as homelessness and fear of homelessness grows.

Tweed Shire Councillors have declared the region is facing a housing emergency. Picture: Jessica Lamb

The Tweed Shire Council have followed suit of Byron Shire Council in declaring a housing emergency for the region.

At Thursday night’s meeting councillors voted unanimously in favour of declaring the local government area was experiencing an extreme situation with respect to lack of housing availability and affordability in our community.

Mayor Chris Cherry brought forward the motion, citing a previous study which showed the Tweed Shire to be the eighth least affordable place for youth to live in the world and further studies showing 35 per cent of the community lived on low to very low income.

“I’ve got people coming to us talking about how they’re middle income families and can’t afford to live in our shire,” Cr Cherry said.

Cr Cherry said she was recently approached by a woman living on the street who said the most important thing she could do was provide a place to have a shower and wash her clothes.

“(she said) ‘without having a shower and wash my clothes I can’t get a job,’” Cr Cherry said.

She said the region needed 60,000 additional affordable dwellings by 2026.

Councillor Pryce Allsop said he had seen an increasing number of people living in caravans.

He said extreme weather caused massive issues for people in vans, including a man he met who was recently stuck on a property with no shelter other than his van during recently rainfall.

“I’m sympathetic,” he said.

He said the council should start looking at putting housing further away from the coast.

“There’s scope for us to have more land releases out west,” Cr Allsop said.

“We’ve just got to look bigger picture rather than expecting 45,000 rate payers to do something for homeless people.”

Councillor Ron Cooper disagreed with Cr Allsop’s suggesting, stating that the jobs were in town.

“The problem is the tourism industry requires low wage people,” Cr Cooper said.

“The jobs they’re offering are often tied to part time and casual.

“It will be difficult for those people to continue to rent and impossible to work in the industry from out west.

“People who are approaching homelessness … can see their next rent rise will put them on the streets, in their cars, on couches.”

He said the problem also created costs for health and law enforcement.

“They might opt to do petty thieving to stay alive or keep their kids dressed,” he said.

Councillor Katie Milne said the problem seemed to be getting worse.

“We’ve all had those desperate letters begging for some sort of home,” Cr Milne said.

She said the issue was not about supply, citing a number of developments about to be complete, but the fact those developing were not offering affordable housing.

“The social housing provision is only 2.8 per cent (for the Tweed Shire), the state average is 4 per cent,” she said.

“We’re behind the supply.”

All councillors voted in favour of the motion to declare the Tweed was experience an extreme situation with respect to lack of housing availability and affordability; to urgently write to the state and federal governments, thanking them for the recent investment on Boyd St and to explore further opportunities and submit a request to add a motion the NGA “that urgent and transformational action is needed to address the current housing affordability crisis in Regional Australia”; and explore local options detailed in a confidential item.

Originally published as Tweed Shire Council join Byron in declaring a housing emergency