A first-of-its type affordable housing development has opened for new tenants on the Sunshine Coast.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the Marcoola project comprised 22 modular homes located on 11 Council-owned properties.
Mayor Natoili said it included four three-bedroom homes, seven two-bedroom dwellings and 11 one-bedroom homes, that featured decks and outdoor areas.
She said it was a first for the region and would help support workers and their families by securing affordable, safe and comfortable rental properties for them.
“As we know, the property crunch being experienced across the nation, especially in popular places like the Sunshine Coast, means many low-income workers are being forced to move away.
“We are talking about those workers who contribute to a range of health, aged care, social assistance, retail and hospitality sectors and are so valuable to our community and local economy.
“There is more work to be done to retain our key workers, but this project shows the way.”
Mayor Natoli said the initiative, which was being delivered with the support of the Queensland Government, saw its first eight homes unveiled yesterday (June 17) with the remainder to become available in coming months for eligible, low-income individuals, couples and families.
She said the affordable homes would be rented at 75 percent of the market rate and be managed by Coast2Bay Housing Group, a community housing provider.
Coast2Bay Housing Group CEO Andrew Elvin said by utilising vacant land and a modular prefabrication approach, these homes had been delivered in a shorter time frame compared to traditional construction methods.
“Ultimately, this provides more rapid outcomes for those in need of affordable homes,” Mr Elvin said.
He said his team had already received more than 200 applications for the Marcoola homes, demonstrating the desperate need for more affordable rental housing in our region.
