Get target of 28,000 more homes over next 20 years
AN extra 28,000 dwellings could be squeezed into Cumberland over the next 20 years.
The long-term housing target is part of a Draft Local Housing Strategy, which is set to go on exhibition and outlines Cumberland’s proposed contribution to the Central City District’s Plan.
A part of the Greater Sydney Commission, under the Central City District Plan, councils are required to develop housing targets to guide short, medium and long-term housing growth.
In the short term, Cumberland is already on target to provide 9,350 dwellings between 2016-2021, with a further 7,000-7,200 additional proposed dwellings between 2021-2026, depending on broader economic conditions and market demand for housing.
However the Draft has been labelled as “incomplete” by Councillor Lisa Lake.
She said housing affordability was a key issue in Cumberland, with the 2016 census showing that about 19,000 households were in housing stress because at least 30 per cent of their income was spent on housing costs, and renters made up more than 70 per cent of those households.
“Homelessness has increased dramatically in our area and at a far greater rate than the Greater Sydney average,” she said.
“There are more than 3,000 people homeless in Cumberland, primarily being identified as living in severely overcrowded dwellings.
“Our housing priority in Cumberland should be to significantly increase the supply of affordable rental housing.
“If our Local Housing Strategy doesn’t confront our area’s social disadvantage by planning for our growing affordable housing need, it will fail.”
Highlighting the need for more State Government funded infrastructure to support the proposed additional dwellings and associated population growth, Cr Paul Garrard said he also had issues with the draft document and urged the community to “have a hard look at it”.
