By BELINDA PARKES
Pic: Tweed mayor Barry Longland, Richmond MP Justine Elliot and Horizon Housing CEO Jason Cubit are fast-tracking the Hundred Hills development to make housing more affordable.
HOME buyers and tenants in the Tweed Valley will have more opportunity to secure a home at a price they can afford, due to $8.36 million in funding from the Australian Government.
Federal Housing and Homelessness Minister, Mark Butler, last week announced Tweed Shire Council would receive the funding through the Building Better Regional Cities program.
It would be used to reduce the costs of building the earthworks, roads, electrical and telecommunication networks, parks and recreation areas for the Hundred Hills housing development in Murwillumbah.
Member for Richmond Justine Elliot said the money would bring forward two stages of the development and make 52 homes available to low to medium income earners by June 2016.
Thirty of the homes would be for sale at a discounted price to eligible buyers, while 22 will be reduced-cost rental properties.
She said it was intended to keep the property market moving while also benefiting those for whom buying a house or securing affordable rental accommodation had been just out reach.
The Hundred Hills estate is being developed by Stockland, however some of the land is being purchased by the not-for-profit housing charity, Horizon Housing, which will offer significant rebates on the market sale or rental price to eligible buyers and tenants.
Horizon Housing CEO Jason Cubit said a robust system was in place to ensure the market price of housing in the area was not affected while guaranteeing discounted housing to people who needed a helping hand.
However president of local outreach charity You Have A Friend, John Lee, said there were better ways to help the Tweed’s homeless and vulnerable than spending $8.36 million on a private development.
He suggested a $100 a week rent subsidy for the most needy residents would ease the burden on a much greater number of people.
“For $1 million the government could subsidise 192 people a year with $100 a week rent,” said Mr Lee, adding that $8.36 million would help more than 1600 families, compared to the 52 to benefit under this program.
Mr Lee has recently spoken out in the Tweed Coast Weekly about the critical housing shortage leaving many people on 20-year waiting lists for social housing.
He said recent changes by the Federal Government had left many people in poverty with new parental payment rules now forcing a single mother with an eight-year-old child onto NewStart, which was just $12 above the poverty line.
“My charity is providing food and clothing daily to parents and children living on just $2 a day after rent and electricity,” said Mr Lee who can be contacted at www.youhaveafriend.org.au
However Ms Elliot said the Building Better Regional Cities program was different from social housing and was what her government saw as the best way forward to help get people into housing while also being good for the building industry.
“All these homes will be environmentally sustainable and will be designed to meet the changing needs of residents across their lifetime, including families with children, senior Australians and people with disability,” she said.
Ms Elliot said the Richmond electorate had received $15 million for social housing but it was the State Government that decided how the money was allocated.
“John (Lee) is wonderful and does a great job in the community because he understands first-hand what is happening,” Ms Elliot said.
“I commend him for keeping the pressure on the State Government over the best use of the $15 million provided by the Federal Government.”
She said the Labor Government had also provided record funding for families with its family tax benefits, school kids bonus and rent assistance but that was under threat if Opposition Leader Tony Abbot was elected to power in September.
