Affordable Housing Policy

Aspirations:

Every person should have access to affordable, appropriate, safe, secure, healthy, environmentally responsible and community-oriented housing.

Affordable housing needs to be given serious and practical consideration for disadvantaged groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, young people and senior citizens.

Kiama Greens Recognise:

  • Affordable housing relates to housing for people in “housing stress”. In most cases people who will never afford to own their own home.
  • Affordable housing is a human right;
  • The housing needs of low income Australians should be met through the provision of a mix of affordable options, including community housing, public housing, shared equity with social housing providers and private rental housing;
  • New urban developments should be environmentally sound, public-transport friendly and facilitate community interaction;
  • Public participation in the development of public and community housing, (including planning and in the assessment of development proposals) is a right, and must be encouraged by planning authorities;
  • The housing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be met as a matter of urgency;
  • In order to reduce power costs for residents of affordable housing, passive solar design must be encouraged as a building principle and new subdivision design should ensure that all lots have adequate access to sunlight for solar heating and photovoltaic arrays.
  • That recent releases of new housing stock in Kiama is not resolving the problems of housing stress, with even the smaller homes remaining unaffordable.

Kiama Greens will work to:

  • Modify Kiama’s planning instruments to incorporate affordable housing as part of all new estate development and larger urban developments.
  • Establish local government partnerships with community agencies (eg NGOs) to ensure rental accommodation is available for such people.
  • Establish mechanisms, possibly through the use of incentives, which see developers contribute to affordable housing stocks.
  • Encourage State Government to prioritise social housing over non-essential government spending.
  • Encourage State Government to continue increasing the units of subsidised affordable housing stock over the next 10 to 15 years.
  • Ensure that planning controls and decisions relating to quality of life, solar access and access to services and amenities are not undermined in order to provide “cheaper” housing.
  • Encourage housing developers to plan for good walkability and access to public transport and community venues.

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