Planning for the future of affordable housing

These are just some of the points included in the Town of Victoria Park’s submission to the Department of Planning’s Planning Provisions for Affordable Housing discussion paper.

Written by the Town’s future life and built life programs director, Rochelle Lavery, the submission said mandatory provisions for developers was the only way to ensure the establishment of affordable housing units.

The submission said the Town already included a provision under its development policy for the Causeway Precinct that gave developers incentives, such as reduced parking requirements, to build affordable housing but none had taken up the offer.

‘It is questionable whether incentives offered under the planning system alone are sufficient and other incentives, possibly through the taxation system, may need to be considered to improve uptake,’ Ms Lavery argued.

The submission said the Town supported affordable housing for low and moderate income households as part of its vision for a ‘vibrant lifestyle’.

The discussion paper is a response to the State Affordable Housing Strategy.