Shoalhaven Affordable Housing Strategy

Council has now published the outcome of community feedback that helped inform the new Affordable Housing Strategy.

Residents were invited to have their say on the draft document during June and July this year. 38 submissions were received from community members, Community Consultative Bodies (CCBs), planning consultancies, licensed builders, and a variety of organisations including Shelter NSW and Southern Cross Housing.

Most of the submissions supported the preparation of the draft Strategy, the identified actions, and Council’s continued work to help deliver affordable housing. Several organisations offered to collaborate with Council on proposed advocacy, education, and feasibility testing activities.

Several submissions raised concerns about Council’s role in delivering or facilitating the supply of affordable housing, or objected to attempts to increase the amount of affordable housing locally.

The Summary and Consideration of Submissions and Council Response, which summarises the feedback received during the exhibition and Council’s consideration of it, can now be viewed in the Document Library.

The Housing Trust, a not-for-profit community housing provider, has published an Affordable Housing Scorecard judging the affordable housing commitments of the four councils in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Region. Shoalhaven City Council received a "B" for:

• A contemporary plan to guide its work to address housing affordability.
• Committing to provide land for affordable rental housing.
• Proposing to waive development application fees for affordable rental housing projects.
• Confirming work to levy new development to provide affordable rental housing.

Further information is available on the Housing Trust's website (link).

The document outlines measures for Council to increase housing supply and improve affordability through planning controls, development contributions, use of public land and advocacy efforts.

We would like to the thank the community and key industry stakeholders for their important input in developing this crucial document.

A Submission Summary Report, which summarises the feedback received during the exhibition and Council’s consideration of it, will also be published online in the coming weeks.

Click here to view the new strategy.

Shoalhaven Council has adopted a new Affordable Housing Strategy.

The strategy will guide Council’s contributions to address the region’s affordable housing challenge. It outlines strategies for Council to increase housing supply and improve affordability through planning controls, development contributions, use of public land, and advocacy efforts.

Many residents in need of affordable housing within the Shoalhaven are those who earn a steady income but are still unable to meet their housing needs as well as their other essential living costs, such as food, clothing, transportation, medical care, and education.

Results from the 2021 census indicate that more than 4,000 households are in housing stress and 2,000 households need affordable housing.

The new strategy:

• Calculates the city’s current affordable housing needs.
• Identifies barriers impacting the supply of affordable housing.
• Sets a range of measurable actions Council can take to contribute to the supply affordable dwellings and improve housing affordability.
• The document is now being finalised ready for publication. Council will then monitor and report on the Strategy annually.

Updated on 13/09/2024