Northern Beaches Council look to improve housing affordability as new developments draw near
ESSENTIAL workers like police, nurses and teachers are increasingly unable to afford to live near work with some shift workers forced to couch surf or sleep in their car to cope.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Sydney cops forced to couch surf without affordable housing
- Fears health workers will be priced out of Frenchs Forest market
- TripAdvisor style website allows tenants to rate maintenance
AN affordable-housing strategy will be developed by the Northern Beaches Council to battle growing home prices, which have excluded key workers from the peninsula.
It follows a series of reports in the Manly Daily highlighting the struggle for workers — such as police, nurses and teachers — unable to afford to live near work.
Last month Northern Beaches police commander, Superintendent Dave Darcy, highlighted issues surrounding affordability for some of his younger staff.
He said that young officers had occasionally been forced to sleep in their cars or couch surf to get by.
Council administrator Dick Persson said he hoped the creation of a policy would help alleviate some pressures.
He said the opportunity to have “inclusionary zoning” as part of the Ingleside land release and Frenchs Forest structure plan would see the council obtain about 500 dwellings.
“We need to determine what we do with those (dwellings),” he said.
“The most likely option is to develop relationships with affordable-housing providers either through long-term lease or transfer.
“We will do as much as we can to steer the affordable housing to key workers.”
Affordable housing committee chairman, former Warringah mayor Michael Regan, said he was “pleased the administrator is making affordable housing a priority”.
“There is a broad range of talent on the committee who believe council should be multi-pronged or faceted and proactive in its approach to affordable housing,” Mr Regan said.
Affordable housing in Sydney
He said the multifaceted approach would see council buy land for affordable housing and act as landlord while creating policies to make it easier for developers to add cheaper housing.
Mr Persson said the policy should go before the council in February.
Among other things it will address the number of affordable housing facilities that should be available.
NSW aged care homes where residents don’t like their food
A western Sydney aged care home has been named the worst in NSW – and the nation – for its food. See who is serving up culinary delights and who falls short.
Super boots, try guns! Day 2 NSW junior rugby state title standouts
There were try scoring sensations galore and hot boots aplenty with a Penrith young gun scoring four tries and kicking six conversions on day two of the NSW Junior rugby state titles.