Coast2Bay building a plan to solve region’s growing housing crisis
WITH an award for providing support to struggling renters under their belt, a local housing group is keeping the momentum going to solve the ever-present housing crisis on the Sunshine Coast.
Coast2Bay Housing Group, a not-for-profit company, accepted the Leading Housing Development Project award at the Australasian Housing Institute Awards for Akuna, the 33 one and two-bedroom social housing complex in Beerwah.
A Coast2Bay spokesperson said Akuna provides accommodation for people struggling to find affordable housing; however, acknowledges that this problem is nothing new.
“The Sunshine Coast, in particular, has had a really low level of new housing being built and released, so we are now in the position that we are getting government funding to build complexes like Akuna ourselves,” the spokesperson said.
The current housing crisis has forced people to relocate away from loved ones in order to keep a roof over their head.
The Coast2Bay spokesperson said Akuna has lightened the load for some renters, but the Sunshine Coast’s lack of housing diversity is worsening the struggle.
“The Sunshine Coast has needed different types of housing to be built not just detached houses, more apartments, more density,” the spokesperson said.
Now rallying for support to alleviate renting struggles for Sunshine Coast locals, Coast2Bay has teamed up with Stockland Group to work together to develop effective strategies for this on-going problem.
“We went to talk to them about buying land, obviously, and then about the need for building social and community housing.
“Affordable housing is really for people like teachers and paramedics and police officers and youth workers, these sorts of people don’t make large salaries but still need to rent or buy housing, in order to service their local community.”
Both Coast2Bay and Stockland plans to continue to work towards more accessible housing for locals but the spokesperson stresses the need for the government to act.
“Government at every level needs to work together to release land to approve more housing to be built and obviously to allocate it to people in need or at risk of homelessness.”