Council rebate boost for affordable housing

A decision by Sunshine Coast Council will pave the way for more affordable housing to be delivered in the region. 

Council endorsed a proposal at its January 18 Ordinary Meeting, to provide identified community organisations, which deliver affordable housing on the Sunshine Coast, with a 100% rebate on standard Council infrastructure charges, until 2028.    

The Council share of the levied charge for a three-bedroom dwelling is approximately $16,800 and is subject to indexation.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said the rebate supported Council’s Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2023 and would support more housing, including separate housing, boarding and emergency facilities, to be delivered for those who needed it most.

“This rebate will greatly reduce the development costs for particular organisations that provide affordable housing on the Sunshine Coast,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“When you consider that the average levied charge for a three-bedroom home is around $16,800, this 100% rebate has the potential to provide significant support for organisations that deliver affordable housing in our region.”

What is affordable housing and who qualifies?

Affordable Housing is appropriate to the needs of low-income households in terms of design, location and access to services and facilities. It is housing where rent paid by households in the lowest 40% of income units does not exceed 30% of gross household income after any applicable Commonwealth Rent Assistance is deducted.

It includes separate housing, as well as boarding and emergency housing and other specialist forms of housing.

The rebate will be made available to entities registered on the national and/or state register as providing community housing services under s37 of the Housing Act 2003. The rebate applies to all forms of affordable housing provided by registered entities that meet the eligibility criteria of the newly adopted changes to Council’s rebate policy..

Council’s Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2023 includes the following key priorities:

• utilising Council land and/or buildings as affordable residential housing options for key workers currently being displaced by escalating rents and prices for housing
• discounting fees and concessions for community organisations
• supporting community-led initiatives
• facilitating the efforts of the State Government and community housing providers to deliver social and affordable housing projects.

Council has also invested in a web-based tool, available to the community, which provides statistics on housing affordability and availability. The Housing Monitor presents the statistics in the form of tables and graphs and provides this information for a range of Sunshine Coast geographies, households and income types.

For more information visit Council’s website.