Mid June the NSW Government released a Discussion Paper calling for feedback on its 20-year vision for housing in NSW.  

Our submission focused on two main themes: UTILISATION OF AVAILABLE NSW GOVERNMENT OWNED LAND and SUPPORT FOR A RANGE OF HOUSING TYPES AND SIZES.

It is encouraging to see tiny-homes and other forms of moveable dwellings included as a genuine housing form. Tiny-homes are the most flexible housing form yet currently underutilised and often dismissed in preference for less affordable forms of housing. 

We called for two things:

LAND LEASE TEMPLATE – We need Councils and State agencies to feel comfortable with land partnerships and to understand the value in giving purpose to meanwhile use land. To support these land partnerships, we would like to see a standard ‘land-lease’ template, consistent across the state to guide and provide confidence to social housing providers and not-for-profit groups in establishing their own tiny-home projects that reflect
and support their communities.

SEMI-PERMANENT DWELLING CATEGORY – For housing to be responsive we strongly believe the built form should be more flexible on the land – buildings might come and go, upsize, downsize, separate and join as the ‘land’ (as opposed to the ‘housing’) responds to both the social and economic climate of the day. We would like to see a category that can classify a semi-permanent dwelling, as differentiated from a ‘moveable dwelling’ such as a caravan but suitably acknowledging that dwelling ownership can be separate from the land-owner. This would help to identify and target responsive housing and provide the framework to establish the necessary planning instruments that would shape this collaborative relationship.

With land partnerships and clearer planning pathways, Tiny Homes Foundation can build the missing piece of the housing puzzle and provide safe and dignified, self-contained affordable housing that is quick to respond to changes in our social and economic climate.

Click to read more on the NSW Government Department of Planning, Industry and Environment website.