Whenever organisations talk about social, affordable and even disability housing the first reaction from many in the community is Not-In-My-Back-Yard, hence the term NIMBY has been widely understood.
At Peninsula Community Housing, our mission is to provide this housing in our community and to manage it professionally with our experienced partners so that rather than finding NIMBYs, we can uncover the YIMBYs – those who say YES-In-My-Back-Yard!
If we look at one housing example then this YIMBY concept is immediately applicable for owner-occupiers of land on the Peninsula to literally open up their back yards or farm yards to accommodate a moveable Tiny Home, classified under the planning scheme as a Dependent Persons Unit (DPU), otherwise known as a Granny Flat.
“The rules are clearly defined in that someone can qualify as a dependent, even if they are financially dependent on the home owner, and I see this as a clear opportunity and pathway to assist some of our most vulnerable residents to access safe, secure and affordable housing on the Mornington Peninsula”, said Peninsula Community Housing spokesperson Russell Joseph.
It is estimated that up to 2000 people are homeless on the Peninsula and are either sleeping rough on the foreshore or in public spaces, couch surfing or sleeping cars.
“Peninsula Community Housing calls on our elected representatives at local and state government level to drop the politics around housing and homelessness and on behalf of our community, start to make this DPU solution a part, even if only a small part, of the overall reality.
Our caravan parks are slowly closing and this being our most affordable reality for housing is now going to put hundreds more disadvantaged and vulnerable people out on the street. We cannot sit back and just let this happen and as a community we must fight for a better solution, a solution that will ultimately be of great benefit to all of us”, said Tiny Homes supporter and resident of Capel Caravan Park Wayne Iremonger.
The recent SGS Economics and Planning Issues Paper in 2017 quantified total of $25,615 per year, per bed of community savings when we provide safe, secure, permanent and affordable accommodation:
- Health Cost: $8,429
- Reduced Crime: $6,182
- Individual Costs: $6,500
- Improved Human Capital: $4,236
- Other: $268
- Total: $25,615
“Clearly the time to act is now. The economic argument has been made and it is time for regulators and legislators to get out of the way and help establish some known solutions”, said Russell Joseph.