A Sydney mayor has been advocating for more three-bedroom apartments in his council to provide families who have been priced out of the housing market with viable alternatives.
Strathfield mayor John-Paul Baladi has said that his council hopes to provide a “genuine alternative” for families in its bid to encourage developers to build more three-bedroom apartments.
Baladi said the initiative was developed for families who are unable to afford houses, for whom apartments are often the only affordable option.
Strathfield Council has proposed a plan to accommodate more families within its council by introducing new planning requirements for high-rise blocks by early next year.
Under the council’s proposal, new residential projects with 10 or more dwellings must have up to 20 per cent of apartments with three bedrooms as part of future high-density projects.
A Strathfield Council spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph that the council intends to incorporate the new dwelling provisions into its development control plan.
Baladi said the proposal came in response to feedback from families who have raised concerns about being priced out of the housing market and have had no other choice but to live in apartments.
“Many people who can’t necessarily afford to buy homes in Strathfield are open to living in apartments in and around our town centres, such as Homebush or Strathfield,” Baladi told REB.
He said that a large proportion of the current supply in his council, including both new and old dwellings, consists of studio apartments, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments.
“What our policy is seeking to achieve is providing those sorts of families who are being priced out of homes a genuine alternative in which they can raise a family,” he said.
“And so we want to create an opportunity for young families in particular to call Strathfield home without having to pay upwards of $10 million, in some cases, to afford to live in our area.”
In a bid to boost supply, the NSW government has encouraged more diverse housing through its low- and mid-rise housing policy, which commenced earlier this year.
The policy aims to enable more low- and mid-rise housing within 800 metres of nominated town centres and stations.
Baladi said the state government’s directions for high-density living make it feel as if the character of the community is being altered.
“And so what I won’t do is fall over at their command, but instead try and work with the plans they’ve given us,” he said.
“We don’t want to see development done to Strathfield – we want to have development done with us and as an extension of our local character.
“So this is just an attempt to create an extension of our family-friendly environment here in Strathfield into those new high-density zones.”
Baladi said that the council has been hopeful about the likelihood of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s cooperation with the proposal, but it remains to be seen.
“We are optimistic and hopeful that they can help us create a liveable Strathfield,” he said.
Baladi was also adamant that the new provisions wouldn’t limit supply for first home buyers, given there will be just a slight increase to three- and four-bedroom apartments.
“Even with the policy adopted, the vast majority of supply will still be smaller one- and two-bedroom and studio apartments,” he concluded.
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