Key workers, businesses to benefit from affordable homes

Sunshine Coast Council and the Queensland Government have partnered to build 22 new affordable homes on the Coast.

Supported by the government’s Housing Investment Fund, construction will start later this year on the homes which will built across 11 sites in Marcoola.

The project will include self-contained one, two and three-bedroom modular homes to cater for low-income singles, couples and small family households, with a focus on key workers.

The modular homes will be factory-built and will include private decks and outdoor areas.

The homes will be built on Council-owned land and Coast2Bay Housing Group will manage the properties once constructed. The properties will be offered to eligible key workers (low income thresholds) at below market rental value.

Jess Knott (Coast2Bay Housing Group), Wendy Gleeson (Project Manager, Sunshine Coast Council), Minister Lance McCallum (Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development) and Councillor David Law (Community Portfolio Councillor, Sunshine Coast Council) discussing plans.

Working together for a stronger community

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said this achievement was made possible through our collaboration with the Queensland Government.

“It is a great example of how working together can make our community stronger,” Mayor Natoli said.

“Sunshine Coast Council is so pleased to see this project come to fruition after more than two years of work, from identifying the land, working on the concept and applying for funding.

“This project demonstrates our ongoing commitment to facilitating affordable and diverse housing options for our community.”

Sunshine Coast Council Divisional Councillor Taylor Bunnag highlighted that without this investment, key workers who were critical to our economy and work in a range of health, social assistance, retail and hospitality sectors, would increasingly find it difficult to secure housing.

“With significant growth in these industries forecasted, the need for more affordable housing for this workforce is necessary to keep locals on the Sunshine Coast,” Councillor Bunnag said.

The collaboration with council is part of the state’s Homes for Queenslanders plan to deliver one million more homes.

Potential interior for the modular homes.