Housing strategy comment period extended 90 days

The deadline for residents to have their say about the Coast's draft Affordable and Alternative Housing Strategy has been extended until the end of November.

Council agreed that the issue of housing stress was so significant that public exhibition of the draft strategy should be extended by an additional 60 days from the current six-week consultation period.

Central Coast Council mayor Cr Jane Smith said Council valued community feedback on the draft strategy which has been developed after extensive consultation with key stakeholders and experts.

"We know that there are 24,200 local households where a very high percentage of their income is spent just keeping a roof over their heads," Mayor Smith said.

"These residents include older people living alone, single-income families, people living with a disability or chronic illness, and young people who need to be close to a university or TAFE college.

"This draft strategy suggests a wide range of evidence-based initiatives which are likely to create affordable housing options for many people.

"We understand there is significant concern and interest in the community around the need for affordable housing and it is something we need to get right, and can get right, with collaboration with key stakeholders and the community.

"I encourage everyone to have a say on this important strategy for the future of affordable living on the Central Coast."

Cr Bruce McLachlan said, in support of his motion to extend the consultation period, that a broad cross section of people have concerns about the Affordable Housing Strategy.

"I don't disagree one bit about the need for crisis accommodation ... but if you are going to bring in a policy that makes a major change to people's amenity, you are asking for trouble," he said.

"You cannot bring people on welfare dependencies into areas of low employment and expect great outcomes.

"It will be the slums of tomorrow," he said.

"Let's get it right. Let's extend it.

"Let's go out to the public, have a briefing at the end of it, pick the eyes out of it ourselves," he said.

Cr Jillian Hogan, speaking against the motion, said: "It highlights the need for more education, particularly in this chamber.

"I just want to remind people of why the report was put out.

"It was written in relation to homelessness and no one in the chamber has mentioned homelessness.

"Not one person has mentioned homelessness," Hogan said.

"So who is homeless?

"It could be any one of us.

"This is what we are talking about. "We are not talking about people coming from Sydney.

"We are talking about our own people who are struggling, our pensioners.

"They are starving, they are going to services just to eat," she said.

"If someone has got a roof over their head.

"They are able to eat, they are able to get employment and they are able to take advantage of education.

"Three people I saw today in six hours were homeless, one a pensioner.

"Another had a massive breakdown two years ago, and was homeless, because of another problem called elder abuse.

"Our tradies are homeless.

"They are living in cars because of casualisation. I see it every day.

"In that report, I did not see any high rise.

"This stuff is about scare mongering.

"It is not about ice addicts.

"How many ice addicts do you see on the streets? Not many.

"So we have to wait another 90 days.

"We are going to receive another 100 submissions from people who support it and then a great scare campaign from the people down on the beaches.

"This is about our council actually looking at and doing something about homelessness.

"This is about your mother, your grandmother, retirees, our students and young people seeking independence."

The motion to extend was passed with mayor Cr Jane Smith using her casting vote.

Council will hold two information sessions on Wednesday, October 17, for the community to ask questions about the draft strategy: at Council Administration Office, Wyong, from 3.30pm; and, at The Hub Erina Youth Entertainment Venue from 6.30pm.

No information session will be held on the Peninsula.

SOURCE:

Media release, 8 Oct 2018

Jane Smith, Central Coast Council

Central Coast Council agenda 6.6, 8 Oct 2018

Reporter: Jackie Pearson