One of the biggest problems facing the city of Mount Gambier and wider Limestone Coast region is the lack of affordable housing.

The Housing for All initiative is one of 17 initiatives outlined in my Future Mount Gambier plan.

Although the State Government is building 16 new public houses and conducting a maintenance blitz on existing public housing, many people are still on the waitlist for public housing.

A housing boom has seen real estate skyrocket, pushing homes out of reach for first homebuyers and making rental properties unaffordable for many people.

Service agencies are reporting the lack of affordable housing as their number one issue, forcing many into homelessness or insecure situations and resulting in increased demand for crisis and emergency housing.

This situation is affecting a wide demographic, including; older single residents, young people attempting to purchase their first home, skilled professionals looking to move to the region, pet-owners, people in domestic and family violence situations and residents affected by unemployment and other factors.

Research is required to determine the backlog of maintenance on Housing SA properties and steps taken to address this continuing problem.

Resolving this issue requires a coordinated approach from agencies and all levels of government and a multi-faceted approach, including;

• Stamp duty incentives/low cost housing inclusion for all new housing estates;
• Maintenance for public housing;
• Increased crisis and emergency housing accommodation;
• Short-term/contract housing for skilled workers;

Do you have ideas on how we can tackle this issue? Contact mtgambier@parliament.sa.gov.au