2017-04-11 P&E Agenda Attachment 1 to Item 1 Housing Needs Assessment

        o    The movement of a proportion of permanent residents out of resorts as revenue from
             holiday lettings improves (due to greater demand) and the supply of alternative small
             permanent accommodation increases (as above);
        o    The take-up of secondary dwelling provisions for visitor accommodation;
        o    A continuing increase in dwellings used for Short Term Rental Accommodation (such as
             AirBnB).
It will nevertheless be important that the limits of tourist accommodation sustainability in Noosa
Shire are recognised, while encouraging the future growth of the tourism industry in more
sustainable ways. An unsustainable future would result in likely further competition between
residents and visitors, with a possibility of increased displacement of residents and increased lack
of affordability of housing. Increased sustainability is in line with the policies of the Local
Economic Plan, which looks beyond tourism-driven economic growth and employment, towards a
more resilient and diversified economy.

6.5.3       New Housing Models/Initiatives for Consideration
Several examples of innovative developments or new types of models that could be considered
were raised throughout the consultation process or identified through a literature search. They
are described in Appendix B and summarised below.

The ‘tiny house’ movement began in the late 1990s in the USA in response to housing
affordability issues and sustainable living trends (Shearer 2015). The movement is also active in
Australia, with local tiny house enthusiasts driven by similar ideals of economic freedom and
environmental sustainability.

Small houses and temporary houses exist already in Australia, including granny flats, converted
sheds, relocatable homes, beach shacks, caravans and even houseboats. Most ‘tiny house’ models
are less than 40m2 and are often built on a mobile foundation due to legal and financial
constraints. This can make them difficult to difficult to control, and appeal only to a small group
of users. They are consequently considered unlikely to be a viable solution to the affordability
issue, and do not address the underlying issues of housing affordability. The secondary dwelling
provisions adopted by Noosa Council also go a long way to addressing this requirement in an
appropriately regulated manner.

‘Micah Projects’ provide a social assistance to people experiencing poverty, homelessness, mental
illness, domestic violence, disability or discrimination. Their ‘housing first’ approach is an
approach to addressing homelessness where housing is provided to people first, rather than
people ‘getting better’ or moving through transitional short-term housing before a long-term
housing strategy is organised. Housing first requires that suitable, long-term housing be rapidly
identified and provided, together with the services that individuals and families require to
continue on in this housing. Brisbane Common Ground is an example of Micah project where a
146 purpose-built apartment complex was built in South Brisbane offering both affordable
housing, and housing for people who were formerly homeless. Support services and tenancy
management are located on site. Common areas are provided for groups of units.

As such, the model would provide an appropriate one-off social housing response which could be
implemented under rooming accommodation provisions, but is not seen as a wider scale solution
to housing affordability.

‘Nightingale Housing’ is a social enterprise that supports, promotes and advocates for adequate
housing that fosters environmental and social sustainability and strengthens communities.




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