Even though the NSW Government has a Housing Strategy for the whole state, AlburyCity has committed to taking a proactive approach to help ensure a range of housing options are available for our growing community.

Housing affordability relates to the general affordability of homes for rent or purchase on the open market for all households, not just those on very low or low incomes.

Affordable housing refers to homes for very low, low and moderate income households. This is usually provided through state government housing assistance programs that provide rental dwellings for a specified level of below market rent price.

Housing needs and supply are influenced by a huge range of factors including federal and state policies such as planning legislation, negative gearing and interest rates. Even though Council does not directly provide, build or allocate affordable housing, our role is to encourage and facilitate high quality housing through our local planning policies. We know our community and we will continue to advocate and build partnerships to help deliver more affordable housing projects.

Right now we have a lot of four and five bedroom detached houses and not much of what is called ‘the missing middle’ (units, townhouses, terraces and shared housing that is close to our retail centres). Housing diversity provides more options and choice of housing for our community.

Increased housing diversity allows older people to downsize, opens up housing for larger families and provides more opportunities for young people and essential workers to enter the housing market.

Our Local Housing Strategy includes an action plan outlining what we will do to help ensure housing needs are met in a way that is sustainable, equitable and in line with community values. It will inform future advocacy, the formation of partnerships and changes to planning policy and controls.