Putting Noosa’s many thousands of unoccupied bedrooms to use to accommodate those caught up in the housing crisis is a key focus of Noosa Council.
Input and great ideas from community housing providers, property managers and chambers of commerce are informing various ways to find accommodation for workers in Noosa.
“Making use of the many spare bedrooms in Noosa would offer a fantastic part of the housing solution,” says Strategy and Environment Director Kim Rawlings.
“Most of Noosa’s homes are standalone houses with at least three/four bedrooms, but they are predominantly occupied by just one or two people. This means there are potentially thousands of spare bedrooms across Noosa Shire.”
We need to better understand the barriers and considerations preventing homeowners from willingly opening their spare rooms up to people in need of housing such the potential financial benefits or implications need to be worked through with experts and the benefits to both parties explored.
“Taking in a lodger or local worker is an effective way to provide accommodation, share housing costs and potentially make new connections. Sometimes lodgers can help pay household bills, help with repairs and yard maintenance, provide transport, buy groceries or run errands in exchange for accommodation,” she said.
“We were pleased to host the recent Women’s Share Housing Event at The J earlier this month and we’ve been collaborating with Better Together Housing and its parent Coast2Bay Housing Group for a number of years, trying to find housing solutions for older women in particular.”
Council has already put in place frameworks to encourage share housing and rooming accomodation.
“Rooming accommodation is supported in the planning scheme, as is accommodating a tiny home or secondary dwelling on your property to provide additional housing on the lot.
“Converting a house to rooming accommodation for up to five residents in five bedrooms is relatively simple and doesn’t require planning approval as long as it meets self-assessable criteria and building codes.
“There are also hundreds of big back yards suitable for self-contained tiny homes or secondary dwellings. Council does not require planning approval for these provided they meet self-assessable criteria, and no infrastructure charges are payable,” Ms Rawlings said.
“There are many ways to advertise an available room for rent online, on local notice boards or in the newspaper. However, if this is a bit daunting, there are organisations that can assist in finding a suitable lodger. Better Together is one of these organisations helping to find suitable matches for women.”
There are lots of ideas about housing more with what we have at Council’s website www.noosa.qld.gov.au/Planning-and-Development/Housing/Housing-more-with-what-we-have
“We must make better use of the housing we already have, rather than building more and more. There simply isn’t the space to keep moving outwards. Existing bedrooms are available right now and don’t rely on construction costs or long delays.
