Hope on horizon in NW housing

THE release of new housing subdivisions could help ease the rental squeeze in Tasmania’s North-West.

This week, the state government announced two in-fill subdivisions in Wynyard would deliver 68 new lots – most of which will be available for affordable home purchase.

It follows news that 49 public housing properties would be built on a new subdivision in Burnie.

The West Coast Council has called for crown land to be released so that it can entice investors to build desperately needed private rentals for mine, forestry and fish farm workers.

The majority of the new lots in Bowick and Hale streets in Wynyard will be available for affordable home purchase under the state government’s HomeShare program.

Under the scheme, eligible homebuyers share the cost of buying their home with the Department of Housing.

The government has promised to release 670 lots of land under the Affordable Housing Strategy 2015-2025 and invest an additional $10m into HomeShare to assist 100 more households.

Construction on the Wynyard subdivisions is scheduled to start in January 2022 with lots available for purchase from June of that year.

The government’s housing dashboard shows the waiting list for social housing has climbed 21 per cent in the past 12 months.

The current occupancy rate of public housing across Tasmania is 99.1 per cent.

Burnie’s private rental market is particularly tight, with only 13 properties vacant and available to those who can afford them.

The West Coast Council is so keen to see new houses built to rent out to workers that it is offering a three-year rates holiday to companies or private investors who build them.