2021-12-13 GC Agenda - Item 8 -Attachment 1 - Housing Needs Assessment

       Cassowary Coast Regional Council provides community housing for residents who meet the
       eligibility criteria for social housing. This includes one, two and three-bedroom homes in
       Innisfail, Tully and Cardwell for aged residents, families and individuals. Rent is charged in
       line with the Department of Housing and Public Works rent policy, and is based on 25% of
       the household's assessable income, plus Commonwealth Rent Assistance.


There is far greater chance of additional social housing to eventuate if Council or the State
Government own the land on which it sits. Construction of the dwellings might be a jointly funded
exercise and management of the housing rest with the Department of Housing or community housing
providers.
It is not necessary Council become a community housing provider or directly deliver housing itself.
It is a specialised undertaking and established government agencies and community housing
providers are better equipped for the role.


       The City of Greater Geelong has adopted a Social Housing Plan 2020-41 in which they have
       made a commitment to, amongst other things:
       •   Make available all suitable unutilised City owned land for residential development in a
           timely manner with a minimum of 30% social housing (42 sites identified).
       •   Contribute an annual budget of $1M to social housing to leverage investment from other
           levels of government.


Land development is a relatively common practice amongst local governments. Most typically it is
creating saleable lots of vacant land however sometimes also buildings. This is often because of a
desire to deliver a product that is not otherwise being delivered through the private sector, or
sometimes to leverage further private investment.
Land Banking is essentially the process of securing well located property when possible, and holding
it until some time in the future when the conditions are favourable to develop it. In a rising property
market there can be logic in securing strategic properties at today's price, assuming it continues to
rise in value into the future. Maintenance of the properties in the interim would generally come at a
cost, however there may also be scope to recoup some form of rental income.
Where developable land is scarce and typically highly priced this represents a considerable financial
commitment and best opportunities may be where the State is disposing of unallocated lands. It may
be that improvements to the property are necessary before it can be fully or even partially developed
for residential purposes. It may for instance need remediation or riparian revegetation. Boundary
realignments might be an appropriate means of separating developable land from land to be left
undeveloped.
While Council does routinely consider properties that are presented for sale there is scope to take a
more strategic approach. This is likely to be a longer term venture and comes with significant financial
implications, even with property appreciation. It may however be a valid means of investing in the
future housing needs of the community.


17.4        Funding Opportunities
Funding streams exist for delivery of social or affordable housing. Further exploration of these may
rely on advocating to the State and Federal Governments.
AHURI has argued the case that just like schools, hospitals and community facilities, social housing
is a form of essential social infrastructure that supports a range of social and socio-economic




Noosa Housing Needs Assessment 2021                                                           Page 130