A majority of Wollongong councillors support at least 20 per cent of all new housing supply being dedicated as affordable housing, new data from an Illawarra Housing Trust survey has revealed.
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A survey was compiled by the Housing Trust during local government elections last year to assess whether candidates viewed housing as a human right and whether they supported addressing housing issues.
Of the sitting Wollongong councillors, 11 out of 13 responded to the survey.
All Wollongong councillors who responded unanimously agreed the local government area must focus more on viewing housing as a human rights issue, not just as a means of creating wealth.
All also agreed there was a shortfall in affordable rental housing in Wollongong, with more than half agreeing 20 per cent of residential developments should be dedicated to affordable housing.
The survey results come as Wollongong City Council's draft housing strategy will be tabled at Monday's ordinary meeting.
The draft marks council's first updated housing policy in 17 years and was welcomed by Housing Trust CEO Michele Adair.
"It's been a very long time coming," Ms Adair said.
"But it reflects an intention or an interest to use most of the levers available to council to address housing. It's a wonderful step forward.
"I'm very much looking forward to hearing the commitments and the really courageous, thoughtful leadership that the majority of councils have expressed in their survey."
The policy has aimed to address supply and demand, housing for people with disability, as well as emergency, social, and affordable housing.
It acknowledges Wollongong will need to house an additional 55,375 people by 2041 in 28,000 more dwellings, according to the NSW Government throught he Illawarra Shoalhaven Regional Plan 2041.
Ms Adair said there are a number of improvements to be made to the strategy, including the proposed requirement of a minimum 5 per cent of developments to be provided as affordable housing.
"That of course means that 95 per cent of developments would continue to remain unaffordable," she said.
"That's simply unacceptable. So again, I'm very encouraged by number of councillors who have said they would support targets of at least 20 per cent (affordable housing).
"And I think the other thing that's important from the survey is that the councillors have said they have an expectation that affordable rental housing will be spread out throughout all areas of the council."
'Affordable' rental housing is where the household pays no more than 30 per cent of their gross income in rent.
Essential workers are increasingly getting priced out of the market as the housing crisis continues to rage in the Illawarra, Ms Adair said.
"We should have medium to higher density affordable development everywhere," she said.
"Because we know the evidence over the last couple of years is that all of our families, working professionals, accountants, teachers, health care workers, people employed at the university are all included in those who have been priced out of the rental market.
"And they will be supported by a wonderful, final housing strategy."
Council's draft housing strategy also proposes to waive development application fees for emergency, social, affordable rental housing and housing for people with disability.
It adds that house prices have soared by 7.8 per cent annually, which has had a flow on effect to rental prices, with the median Wollongong rental costing $600 per week according to Domain.
If adopted on Monday, the strategy will be on public exhibition for eight weeks.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
