Warringah Council is investigating two new options for affordable housing on Sydney’s northern beaches after a forum in March highlighted it as a major problem in the region.
“There is a critical shortage of housing for young families, low and middle income earners and downsizers in Warringah,” said Warringah Mayor, Michael Regan.
“This is causing problems for our community and businesses and I’m committed to finding concrete solutions.”
Council has begun looking into whether granny flats could be allowed in areas such as Terrey Hills and Duffys Forest, that are zoned RU4 Primary Production Small Lots.
This comes after a request from the local resident association.
“Granny flats or secondary dwellings are currently only allowed in residential areas but there are many residents of rural areas such as Terrey Hills and Duffys Forest who are keen to utilise the space they have for small and appropriate housing options.”
Another option that is being investigated is increasing the size of granny flats from 60 to 75 square metres.
“Sixty square metres isn’t realistic for a downsizing couple. I believe increasing the size to 75 square metres would make them a more attractive option.”
In addition, Council is investigating whether small contributions from these dwellings could go towards funding better infrastructure that more housing would require.
“These measures together could provide one of the answers to our critical shortage of affordable housing in the short term. I promised we would get on with solutions for the short, medium and long term. This is the positive first step”.
