Illawarra stakeholders have been encouraged to attend what is being billed as the "biggest public event about cost of living issues ever held in Australia".
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Hosted by several key bodies and organisations, including the Everybody's Home campaign, the Sydney Town Hall Assembly on March 14 will address housing insecurity, rental affordability and energy costs.
Almost 1500 community leaders and members have reportedly registered to attend. This will include Michele Adair, CEO of Illawarra-based community housing provider the Housing Trust.
"(The conversation) continues to be around alerting decision-makers to housing being not only a fundamental human right, but the cost of rental affordability is in absolute crisis," she said.
"I think fortunately the conversation has finally started to change at a state and federal level to not only talk about home buyers, first home buyers and the cost of entry, but to actually recognise that the crisis is in rental affordability.
"I think this forum is important because for particularly Wollongong, but also the Illawarra more broadly, we have all of the housing pressures, land pressures and price pressures of metropolitan Sydney.
"But until very recently, none of the triggers and none of the incentive or assistance packages like SEPP 70, which has just been announced… None of those mechanisms have been available to help relieve the stress and issues for the Illawarra.
"We're certainly bearing the brunt of the same problems as Sydney."
More than 200 community organisations at the event will ask all parties in NSW to commit to a suite of energy and housing costs.
These include:
*At least 5000 new social housing homes a year in NSW to meet the housing needs of families on low and very low incomes.
*More security for renters by removing ‘no grounds’ evictions in NSW.
*A funded 10-year plan to end homelessness in NSW.
*Increased targets for affordable housing in all new developments.
*A review of Minimum Standards of Rental Houses and Energy Efficiency Standards.
Nationally, community leaders are calling on all sides to reform negative gearing to level the playing field for home-buyers and a national strategy to deliver 50,000 social and affordable homes.
Brendan Crabb
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
I'm a member of ACM's national property team, covering the Illawarra and South Coast. Based in Albion Park, NSW, I write about exciting, interesting or just downright quirky properties that have been listed for sale, major sales, market trends, auctions and more. One of my favourite aspects of being a journalist is I believe everyone has a story to tell. What's yours?
