Councils in Adelaide reject proposed housing changes allow 10 residents to share one toilet

The state government’s attempt to tackle the housing crisis by allowing co-living spaces of 10 people sharing one toilet go too far councils say.

Adelaide would be littered with “ghettos” if sweeping changes are made to housing rules to allow shared living spaces for up to 10 people with one bathroom and kitchen.

Holdfast Bay, Playford and Adelaide City councils have serious concerns with the state government’s proposed changes they say would create anti-social behaviour and poor living conditions.

The government proposed smaller or single-parent families move out of detached dwellings and into new shared-living accommodation in a bid to tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The Accommodation Diversity Code Amendment also proposes increasing building heights from four to six storeys for retirement villages to deal with the state’s ageing population.

Housing Minister Nick Champion pictured at a round table discussion. Picture: Mark Brake

Holdfast Bay councillor Jane Mary Fleming in a Facebook video encouraged residents to respond to consultation, describing the proposed co-living spaces as “ghettos”.

“They (the government) could buy properties and build one of these ghettos,” she said.

“People should not have to live in housing that has shared bathroom, toilet and laundry facilities – these are old 1950s facilities … with virtually no parking,” she said.

“There will be no community consultation on these being built in your own backyard.”

At its meeting this week, the council formalised its position on the changes in a letter to the state’s planning commission in which it described the co-living arrangements as “problematic”.

The council wrote the clustering of multiple households into one building would result in “social consequences” and the “vulnerable” people forced into such living arrangements would find it “challenging and distressing”.

Holdfast Bay Mayor Amanda Wilson. Picture: Supplied

Playford Mayor Glenn Docherty. Picture: Supplied

It recommended every household be provided its own bathroom, if not a kitchen and laundry.

The council added retirement villages being six storeys was “excessive” and raised issue with the amendment’s lack of inclusion for neighbours to be notified of the developments.

Playford Council listed similar concerns in a letter formalised this week and wrote staff already dealt with anti-social behaviour and residents being exploited at existing boarding houses.

The council recommended the government explore how residents could be safeguarded from negative outcomes, such as these, before enacting this part of the code.

It also proposed one car park per co-living space, compared to the 0.5 space being proposed under the amendment.

Adelaide City Council, in its letter, wrote it did not support changes that may result in “sub-optimal housing outcomes” and one toilet per 10 beds “does not provide liveable housing”.

Housing Minister Nick Champion said the code amendment was designed to provide choice in the housing market.

“It will not lead to ghettos. If the code amendment is approved, the retirement options will likely be focused on the higher end of the market,” Mr Champion told The Advertiser.

“It is important councils provide sensible feedback rather than reactionary nimby style politics.

“The communal areas is just one of several aspects proposed to increase the variety of housing available to our changing population, including an expected increase in older Australians.”

The changes also included changes to apartment design rules, which would focus more on minimum bedroom and living area sizes, rather than minimum total floor areas, and smaller, cheaper apartments could become more common if developers offered “suitable, high standard” common areas.

Originally published as Councils in Adelaide reject proposed housing changes allow 10 residents to share one toilet