27-06-2025
Tiny homes trial constructed to ease massive housing affordability crisis
Lake Macquarie City Council has teamed up with family services provider Allambi Care to trial the introduction of "tiny homes" to help combat the housing crisis.
Under the plan, two blocks of council-owned residential land in Belmont North will be used to accommodate two modular homes.
The two-bedroom self-contained houses will be built by West Gosford company Tiny Homes 4 U and transported to the sites in Laxton Crescent and Wommara Avenue.
The state government's Homes NSW provided the funding through its Homelessness Innovation Fund.
Allambi Care will oversee the tenancy of the homes, which will likely be offered to young adults struggling to find permanent accommodation in Lake Macquarie.
Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said the innovative trial with Allambi Care was one of the key recommendations that came out of the Lake Macquarie Housing Forum held in April at Belmont 16s.
"We had more than 80 people from dozens of organisations and government departments in one room, and the clear message was that there is no single solution to housing shortages in our region," Cr Shultz said.
"But there was also a determination throughout the group that we must be brave, we must innovate and we can't just keep doing the same thing and expecting things to change.
"We need to lean into new opportunities and work together."
The development applications for the two tiny homes is pending, but the residents are expected to move in by the end of the year.
Allambi Care services over 400 young people in Lake Macquarie who are at risk of homelessness.
Allambi's director of family and early intervention services, Kelly-Lee Goodchild, said the tiny homes offered a way to assist young people who struggle to compete for rentals in a limited housing market.
"One of the big things we've been managing on an ongoing basis is the lack of short-term and medium-term accommodation for them outside of refuge options and temporary accommodation," Ms Goodchild said.
"Finding somewhere for them to build up a rental history and be able to then apply for their own rental accommodation is really challenging.
"The access to housing is near impossible for anyone who doesn't have any form of rental history."
Ms Goodchild said many young people were couch-surfing, sleeping rough in cars and on the streets or staying in refuges.
"Housing is a really massive crisis across the board for a lot of people, but especially for youth that are disconnected from family networks," she said.
Cr Shultz said plans were underway to expand the program to another three prefabricated homes as an interim housing measure on underutilised land at Belmont.
"These are relatively small projects but that doesn't reduce their importance," Cr Shultz said.
"They aim to provide proof of concept, and if they work, they could create a solution blueprint with the potential to be rolled out much more widely."
Ms Goodchild said she welcomed any moves to create more tiny homes.
"It's a really exciting project to be creative and put some options out there to tackle this problem," she said.
"Tiny homes are a great initiative and a practical, cost-effective way to address housing affordability."
Last year the Minns government announced plans to build 90 modular public homes across the state as part of the $6.6 billion Building Homes for NSW Program.
Five of those homes will be built in Windale, Gateshead, Toronto and Belmont South by the end of the year.
DAs have been approved for four of the Lake Macquarie sites and the tender was awarded to Moov Modular. The tender for the fifth site is expected to be awarded next month.
The modular homes will be built as the second dwelling in backyards, similar to a granny flat.
Lake Macquarie City Council has teamed up with family services provider Allambi Care to trial the introduction of "tiny homes" to help combat the housing crisis.
Under the plan, two blocks of council-owned residential land in Belmont North will be used to accommodate two modular homes.
The two-bedroom self-contained houses will be built by West Gosford company Tiny Homes 4 U and transported to the sites in Laxton Crescent and Wommara Avenue.
The state government's Homes NSW provided the funding through its Homelessness Innovation Fund.
Allambi Care will oversee the tenancy of the homes, which will likely be offered to young adults struggling to find permanent accommodation in Lake Macquarie.
Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said the innovative trial with Allambi Care was one of the key recommendations that came out of the Lake Macquarie Housing Forum held in April at Belmont 16s.
"We had more than 80 people from dozens of organisations and government departments in one room, and the clear message was that there is no single solution to housing shortages in our region," Cr Shultz said.
"But there was also a determination throughout the group that we must be brave, we must innovate and we can't just keep doing the same thing and expecting things to change.
"We need to lean into new opportunities and work together."
The development applications for the two tiny homes is pending, but the residents are expected to move in by the end of the year.
Allambi Care services over 400 young people in Lake Macquarie who are at risk of homelessness.
Allambi's director of family and early intervention services, Kelly-Lee Goodchild, said the tiny homes offered a way to assist young people who struggle to compete for rentals in a limited housing market.
"One of the big things we've been managing on an ongoing basis is the lack of short-term and medium-term accommodation for them outside of refuge options and temporary accommodation," Ms Goodchild said.
"Finding somewhere for them to build up a rental history and be able to then apply for their own rental accommodation is really challenging.
"The access to housing is near impossible for anyone who doesn't have any form of rental history."
Ms Goodchild said many young people were couch-surfing, sleeping rough in cars and on the streets or staying in refuges.
"Housing is a really massive crisis across the board for a lot of people, but especially for youth that are disconnected from family networks," she said.
Cr Shultz said plans were underway to expand the program to another three prefabricated homes as an interim housing measure on underutilised land at Belmont.
"These are relatively small projects but that doesn't reduce their importance," Cr Shultz said.
"They aim to provide proof of concept, and if they work, they could create a solution blueprint with the potential to be rolled out much more widely."
Ms Goodchild said she welcomed any moves to create more tiny homes.
"It's a really exciting project to be creative and put some options out there to tackle this problem," she said.
"Tiny homes are a great initiative and a practical, cost-effective way to address housing affordability."
Last year the Minns government announced plans to build 90 modular public homes across the state as part of the $6.6 billion Building Homes for NSW Program.
Five of those homes will be built in Windale, Gateshead, Toronto and Belmont South by the end of the year.
DAs have been approved for four of the Lake Macquarie sites and the tender was awarded to Moov Modular. The tender for the fifth site is expected to be awarded next month.
The modular homes will be built as the second dwelling in backyards, similar to a granny flat.
Lake Macquarie City Council has teamed up with family services provider Allambi Care to trial the introduction of "tiny homes" to help combat the housing crisis.
Under the plan, two blocks of council-owned residential land in Belmont North will be used to accommodate two modular homes.
The two-bedroom self-contained houses will be built by West Gosford company Tiny Homes 4 U and transported to the sites in Laxton Crescent and Wommara Avenue.
The state government's Homes NSW provided the funding through its Homelessness Innovation Fund.
Allambi Care will oversee the tenancy of the homes, which will likely be offered to young adults struggling to find permanent accommodation in Lake Macquarie.
Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said the innovative trial with Allambi Care was one of the key recommendations that came out of the Lake Macquarie Housing Forum held in April at Belmont 16s.
"We had more than 80 people from dozens of organisations and government departments in one room, and the clear message was that there is no single solution to housing shortages in our region," Cr Shultz said.
"But there was also a determination throughout the group that we must be brave, we must innovate and we can't just keep doing the same thing and expecting things to change.
"We need to lean into new opportunities and work together."
The development applications for the two tiny homes is pending, but the residents are expected to move in by the end of the year.
Allambi Care services over 400 young people in Lake Macquarie who are at risk of homelessness.
Allambi's director of family and early intervention services, Kelly-Lee Goodchild, said the tiny homes offered a way to assist young people who struggle to compete for rentals in a limited housing market.
"One of the big things we've been managing on an ongoing basis is the lack of short-term and medium-term accommodation for them outside of refuge options and temporary accommodation," Ms Goodchild said.
"Finding somewhere for them to build up a rental history and be able to then apply for their own rental accommodation is really challenging.
"The access to housing is near impossible for anyone who doesn't have any form of rental history."
Ms Goodchild said many young people were couch-surfing, sleeping rough in cars and on the streets or staying in refuges.
"Housing is a really massive crisis across the board for a lot of people, but especially for youth that are disconnected from family networks," she said.
Cr Shultz said plans were underway to expand the program to another three prefabricated homes as an interim housing measure on underutilised land at Belmont.
"These are relatively small projects but that doesn't reduce their importance," Cr Shultz said.
"They aim to provide proof of concept, and if they work, they could create a solution blueprint with the potential to be rolled out much more widely."
Ms Goodchild said she welcomed any moves to create more tiny homes.
"It's a really exciting project to be creative and put some options out there to tackle this problem," she said.
"Tiny homes are a great initiative and a practical, cost-effective way to address housing affordability."
Last year the Minns government announced plans to build 90 modular public homes across the state as part of the $6.6 billion Building Homes for NSW Program.
Five of those homes will be built in Windale, Gateshead, Toronto and Belmont South by the end of the year.
DAs have been approved for four of the Lake Macquarie sites and the tender was awarded to Moov Modular. The tender for the fifth site is expected to be awarded next month.
The modular homes will be built as the second dwelling in backyards, similar to a granny flat.
Lake Macquarie City Council has teamed up with family services provider Allambi Care to trial the introduction of "tiny homes" to help combat the housing crisis.
Under the plan, two blocks of council-owned residential land in Belmont North will be used to accommodate two modular homes.
The two-bedroom self-contained houses will be built by West Gosford company Tiny Homes 4 U and transported to the sites in Laxton Crescent and Wommara Avenue.
The state government's Homes NSW provided the funding through its Homelessness Innovation Fund.
Allambi Care will oversee the tenancy of the homes, which will likely be offered to young adults struggling to find permanent accommodation in Lake Macquarie.
Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said the innovative trial with Allambi Care was one of the key recommendations that came out of the Lake Macquarie Housing Forum held in April at Belmont 16s.
"We had more than 80 people from dozens of organisations and government departments in one room, and the clear message was that there is no single solution to housing shortages in our region," Cr Shultz said.
"But there was also a determination throughout the group that we must be brave, we must innovate and we can't just keep doing the same thing and expecting things to change.
"We need to lean into new opportunities and work together."
The development applications for the two tiny homes is pending, but the residents are expected to move in by the end of the year.
Allambi Care services over 400 young people in Lake Macquarie who are at risk of homelessness.
Allambi's director of family and early intervention services, Kelly-Lee Goodchild, said the tiny homes offered a way to assist young people who struggle to compete for rentals in a limited housing market.
"One of the big things we've been managing on an ongoing basis is the lack of short-term and medium-term accommodation for them outside of refuge options and temporary accommodation," Ms Goodchild said.
"Finding somewhere for them to build up a rental history and be able to then apply for their own rental accommodation is really challenging.
"The access to housing is near impossible for anyone who doesn't have any form of rental history."
Ms Goodchild said many young people were couch-surfing, sleeping rough in cars and on the streets or staying in refuges.
"Housing is a really massive crisis across the board for a lot of people, but especially for youth that are disconnected from family networks," she said.
Cr Shultz said plans were underway to expand the program to another three prefabricated homes as an interim housing measure on underutilised land at Belmont.
"These are relatively small projects but that doesn't reduce their importance," Cr Shultz said.
"They aim to provide proof of concept, and if they work, they could create a solution blueprint with the potential to be rolled out much more widely."
Ms Goodchild said she welcomed any moves to create more tiny homes.
"It's a really exciting project to be creative and put some options out there to tackle this problem," she said.
"Tiny homes are a great initiative and a practical, cost-effective way to address housing affordability."
Last year the Minns government announced plans to build 90 modular public homes across the state as part of the $6.6 billion Building Homes for NSW Program.
Five of those homes will be built in Windale, Gateshead, Toronto and Belmont South by the end of the year.
DAs have been approved for four of the Lake Macquarie sites and the tender was awarded to Moov Modular. The tender for the fifth site is expected to be awarded next month.
The modular homes will be built as the second dwelling in backyards, similar to a granny flat.
