Noosa Council is exploring ways to put the shire’s thousands of unoccupied bedrooms to use to help address the local housing shortage.
Input from community housing providers, property managers and chambers of commerce is informing options for accommodating workers and residents in need.
“Making use of the many spare bedrooms in Noosa would offer a fantastic part of the housing solution,” said Strategy and Environment director Kim Rawlings.
“Most of Noosa’s homes are standalone houses with at least three or four bedrooms, but they are predominantly occupied by just one or two people. This means there are potentially thousands of spare bedrooms across Noosa Shire.”
Council is investigating barriers that might prevent homeowners from offering their spare rooms, including financial considerations, and is working with experts to explore the benefits for both homeowners and potential tenants.
“Taking in a lodger or local worker is an effective way to provide accommodation, share housing costs and potentially make new connections. Sometimes lodgers can help pay household bills, help with repairs and yard maintenance, provide transport, buy groceries or run errands in exchange for accommodation,” Ms Rawlings said.
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The council recently hosted the Women’s Share Housing Event at The J and has collaborated with Better Together Housing and Coast2Bay Housing Group for several years, particularly focusing on housing solutions for older women.
Council has frameworks in place to encourage share housing and rooming accommodation.
“Rooming accommodation is supported in the planning scheme, as is accommodating a tiny home or secondary dwelling on your property to provide additional housing on the lot,” Ms Rawlings said.
“Converting a house to rooming accommodation for up to five residents in five bedrooms is relatively simple and doesn’t require planning approval as long as it meets self-assessable criteria and building codes.
“There are also hundreds of big back yards suitable for self-contained tiny homes or secondary dwellings. Council does not require planning approval for these provided they meet self-assessable criteria, and no infrastructure charges are payable.”
Residents can advertise spare rooms online, on local notice boards or in newspapers. For those who find this daunting, organisations such as Better Together Housing can assist in finding suitable lodgers.
Council’s website provides more information on ways to make better use of existing housing: Noosa Housing More With What We Have.
Ms Rawlings emphasised the urgency of using existing housing rather than building more.
“We must make better use of the housing we already have, rather than building more and more. There simply isn’t the space to keep moving outwards. Existing bedrooms are available right now and don’t rely on construction costs or long delays.”
