Social housing committee to guide $2b investment
GEELONG council has approved a set of guidelines for a new committee to help it create 12,000 social housing dwellings over the next 20 years.
Councillors on Tuesday approved the terms of reference for the Affordable Social Housing Plan Advisory Committee, which will lead its bid to boost social housing supply.
Councillor Pat Murnane said implementation of the city’s Social Housing Plan 2020-41 would be a “$2 billion investment in our community”.
“We do have a struggle here in the region at the moment with affordable and social housing, you might call it a crisis, but at the very least it’s a struggle,” Cr Murnane said.
“We’ve got waiting lists of up to a year. A substantial portion of the current stock — which is a bit over 4000 houses — is old and in poor condition … and the management’s an issue. There are property vacancies in a substantial number.
“It’s not just about building the housing stock … it’s about creating improvement in liveability in this area, and the social wellbeing of those Geelong residents who occupy (the housing).”
The new committee, which will have eight to 12 members, will advise the City of Greater Geelong on “housing-related issues, activities and opportunities within the municipality” and on how to deliver on its social housing growth targets.
It will also “monitor research on housing need, housing demand and housing supply and advise council on the implications for council policies” and help the CoGG to identify priorities.
The Social Housing Plan 2020-41 aims to boost social housing supply to counter a potential surge in homelessness and housing poverty, with commitments to provide suitable “unutilised” city-owned land for residential developments with at least 30 per cent social housing, contribute $1 million annually to social housing, and enable itself to negotiate social housing contributions in all new developments.
The plan estimated Geelong would need 13,500 new social housing dwellings by 2041, while also replacing 1500 ageing public housing dwellings.