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Draft Tweed Affordable Housing Strategy

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Submissions are now closed. Follow this project page to get updates.

What's happening?

Across the Tweed there is an undersupply of the right homes, in the right places, for the people who need them most.

Affordable housing is for anyone in the community who belong to households with very low, low or moderate incomes. This can include families, older people, essential workers, people with a disability, students, recent graduates, migrants, refugees and more.

Only 2.9% of all homes in Tweed Shire are affordable and social housing. Council is committed to taking steps to facilitate more social and affordable housing for the community, many of whom are experiencing rental and mortgage stress.

The draft Affordable Housing Strategy aims to unlock opportunities for increasing the supply of affordable housing. Its main focus is on social and affordable housing, which is subsidised, long-term housing for those very low, low and moderate incomes and subject to affordability and eligibility requirements set by the government.

The draft Affordable Housing Strategy is on exhibition for the community to review and provide feedback until 4 pm, 7 August 2024. You can make a submission here.

Why do we need more affordable and social housing?

There are many misconceptions within the community around who needs affordable and social housing. Affordable housing is for anyone who belong to households with very low, low or moderate incomes. There is a group of ‘new vulnerable’ individuals and families who, even though employed, find that they cannot afford a mortgage or rental property.

People needing access to affordable and social housing include older people, single parents, homeless individuals, young adults, veterans, essential workers, people with a disability, students, recent graduates, migrants and refugees and victims of domestic violence. Without intervention, the current shortage of affordable housing will only increase.

What role can Council play in the supply of affordable housing?

Although many people need affordable housing, there simply isn't enough available. The Affordable Housing Strategy outlines a number of ways that Council can facilitate the delivery of more affordable housing including:

  • Council can mandate targets for social and affordable housing ensuring that there is housing supply for current and future generations.
  • Council can partner and collaborate with key organisations to demonstrate and implement initiatives for the delivery of social and affordable housing.
  • Council can develop and refine council policies and remove barriers by improving the regulatory process.


Do you think this draft Strategy is heading in the right direction?

Your feedback plays an important role in the development of the final Affordable Housing Strategy. You can make a submission that will help inform the final Affordable Housing Strategy by:

  • Informing yourself around the issues affecting Affordable Housing. Review the factsheets and frequently asked questions provided on this page.
  • Reading the draft Affordable Housing Strategy.
  • Making a submission to Council detailing your support, concerns, insights on the draft strategy.
  • Attend an information session online or in person.

How to make a submission

Make a submission before 4 pm, 7 August 2024 in one of the following ways:

  • Online by completing the submission form on this page; or
  • Upload your submission via the Upload option on this page; or
  • Email your submission to tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au Subject: Draft Affordable Housing Strategy
  • Print a hardcopy and return to your local Council office.
  • Mail your submission to The General Manager, Tweed Shire Council, PO Box 816, Murwillumbah NSW 248
  • Deliver in person to the Tweed or Murwillumbah Council offices.

All submissions, including postal or in person, must be received before 4 pm, 7 August 2024 and include your full name and address and contact details. Please indicate if you do not give permission for it to be included in the final report to Council.

What happens next?

All submissions will be reviewed and inform a report to Council for the adoption of a final Affordable Housing Strategy.

The draft Affordable Housing Strategy has been developed alongside a strategy for managing Tweed's population growth and housing, the Growth Management and Housing Strategy 2041, which identifies locations where housing diversity could exist (including affordable and social housing).

Submissions are now closed. Follow this project page to get updates.

What's happening?

Across the Tweed there is an undersupply of the right homes, in the right places, for the people who need them most.

Affordable housing is for anyone in the community who belong to households with very low, low or moderate incomes. This can include families, older people, essential workers, people with a disability, students, recent graduates, migrants, refugees and more.

Only 2.9% of all homes in Tweed Shire are affordable and social housing. Council is committed to taking steps to facilitate more social and affordable housing for the community, many of whom are experiencing rental and mortgage stress.

The draft Affordable Housing Strategy aims to unlock opportunities for increasing the supply of affordable housing. Its main focus is on social and affordable housing, which is subsidised, long-term housing for those very low, low and moderate incomes and subject to affordability and eligibility requirements set by the government.

The draft Affordable Housing Strategy is on exhibition for the community to review and provide feedback until 4 pm, 7 August 2024. You can make a submission here.

Why do we need more affordable and social housing?

There are many misconceptions within the community around who needs affordable and social housing. Affordable housing is for anyone who belong to households with very low, low or moderate incomes. There is a group of ‘new vulnerable’ individuals and families who, even though employed, find that they cannot afford a mortgage or rental property.

People needing access to affordable and social housing include older people, single parents, homeless individuals, young adults, veterans, essential workers, people with a disability, students, recent graduates, migrants and refugees and victims of domestic violence. Without intervention, the current shortage of affordable housing will only increase.

What role can Council play in the supply of affordable housing?

Although many people need affordable housing, there simply isn't enough available. The Affordable Housing Strategy outlines a number of ways that Council can facilitate the delivery of more affordable housing including:

  • Council can mandate targets for social and affordable housing ensuring that there is housing supply for current and future generations.
  • Council can partner and collaborate with key organisations to demonstrate and implement initiatives for the delivery of social and affordable housing.
  • Council can develop and refine council policies and remove barriers by improving the regulatory process.


Do you think this draft Strategy is heading in the right direction?

Your feedback plays an important role in the development of the final Affordable Housing Strategy. You can make a submission that will help inform the final Affordable Housing Strategy by:

  • Informing yourself around the issues affecting Affordable Housing. Review the factsheets and frequently asked questions provided on this page.
  • Reading the draft Affordable Housing Strategy.
  • Making a submission to Council detailing your support, concerns, insights on the draft strategy.
  • Attend an information session online or in person.

How to make a submission

Make a submission before 4 pm, 7 August 2024 in one of the following ways:

  • Online by completing the submission form on this page; or
  • Upload your submission via the Upload option on this page; or
  • Email your submission to tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au Subject: Draft Affordable Housing Strategy
  • Print a hardcopy and return to your local Council office.
  • Mail your submission to The General Manager, Tweed Shire Council, PO Box 816, Murwillumbah NSW 248
  • Deliver in person to the Tweed or Murwillumbah Council offices.

All submissions, including postal or in person, must be received before 4 pm, 7 August 2024 and include your full name and address and contact details. Please indicate if you do not give permission for it to be included in the final report to Council.

What happens next?

All submissions will be reviewed and inform a report to Council for the adoption of a final Affordable Housing Strategy.

The draft Affordable Housing Strategy has been developed alongside a strategy for managing Tweed's population growth and housing, the Growth Management and Housing Strategy 2041, which identifies locations where housing diversity could exist (including affordable and social housing).

  • Community Engagement Summary

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    Affordable Housing Strategy - what you told us.

    Thank you to all residents who participated in the recent Affordable Housing community survey. Overall, 230 online responses were received via Your Say Tweed. The community survey was open for feedback from 6 March to 19 April 2024 to understand how residents of the Tweed felt about Affordable Housing.

    The survey focused on four key questions:

    • How do you feel about new social and affordable housing development potentially being integrated within your neighbourhood?
    • Would you accept higher density forms of housing, which is essential for financial feasibility?
    • Can you think of potential solutions or options to improve the supply and choice of social and affordable housing?
    • Have you considered what other ways may exist to support very low to low-income earners in terms of accessing housing and essential support services?


    In response 80% of respondents feel social and affordable housing is somewhat to very urgent.


    The top 3 key concerns respondents have about future housing within the Tweed are:

    • the next generation’s ability to buy/rent a house (150 respondents)
    • that they may have to move out of the area (67 respondents)
    • that they can’t/won’t be able to afford to buy a house (62 respondents)


    When asked where affordable and social housing is best located responses stated:

    • In every village and town (115 respondents)
    • Only in larger communities which are well serviced - Tweed Heads, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah (81 respondents)
    • In emerging areas such as Cobaki, Kings Forest and Bilambil Heights (81 respondents)
    • 52 respondents stated other.


    Overall, 49.8% of respondents would be happy to live next door to an affordable housing development, while 31.6% said they would not and 18.6% were unsure.


    In response to overall acceptance of more diverse housing types to be developed Tweed’s neighbourhoods to meet different housing needs 60.6% of respondents said yes, 29% said no and 10.4% were unsure.


    The next stage of this project is to review all findings and analysis and develop a draft strategy for Affordable Housing in the Tweed which will be placed on public exhibition for further comment and review.

Page last updated: 08 Aug 2024, 09:40 AM