Amanda and I are lucky to have a place to call home. We have the one property in Carlingford which is our home where we have lived the last 13 years. However not everyone is lucky to have a place to call home. For those without a home there is a great need for support housing of various forms, be it temporary transitional housing, or housing which is affordable to those with low incomes. As a society we must advocate for these forms of housing to strive towards a goal of everyone having a place to call home.

Who are those do not have a home? With 1 in 3 women having been victims of physical or sexual violence, transitional housing is needed to help these victims break the cycle of domestic violence. When Yvonne Keane was Mayor of Hills Shire Council, she introduced policy to incentivise the provision of transitional housing as part of new residential developments. Although the current council is yet to ratify a change to LEP, her plans have great merit and raised the profile of the need of such transitional housing at a local level.

Also without a home are those who can’t afford a home. While the definition of low income varies, it is of the range of up to 120% median income. For those with low income, mechanisms like SEPP 70 have been introduced to allow some councils to prioritise affordable housing. I agree with Local Government NSW that SEPP 70 should be expanded so that all LGAs within the Greater Sydney Region have the option of being included in the scheme. All LGAs can then contribute to provide options for those n low incomes to own a home.

Whether its transitional housing or affordable housing, I support active policy to make sure that those who need a home get one.