A review of existing plans and strategies, key demographic data and the identification of key focus areas of need have been collated in a comprehensive document that will guide Council's response to the housing needs of Cairns.
The Local Housing Action Plan (LHAP), which was endorsed by Council today, identifies key areas that need to be addressed, and the subsequent actions required, to tackle the ongoing housing crisis.
The LHAP identifies opportunities and actions in the following seven key focus areas:
- Housing supply that meets needs
- Key worker housing
- Social and affordable housing
- At risk residents
- Cultural change and social acceptance
- Living in the tropics
- Disaster response
Developed by Council in partnership with the Queensland Government and the Local Government Association of Queensland, the plan provides responses to immediate, emerging and longer-term housing challenges in the Cairns region.
The Queensland Government has funded the development of LHAPs across the state as part of their commitment under the Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2021-2025 and the Homes for Queenslanders Plan.
The Cairns LHAP identifies priority actions to respond to housing needs in the local government area and looks to establish strong foundations for longer-term solutions that will assist housing and homelessness outcomes in the future.
It incorporates existing information and plans developed to respond to local housing needs and acknowledges work already completed by Council, including the Cairns Social and Affordable Housing and Homelessness Plan 2023-2026 and the Cairns Housing Strategy developed as part of the Towards 2050 Growth Strategy.
There is also reference to work undertaken by state agencies, private and not-for-profit organisations.
Actions in the LHAP include advocacy, which can take the form of reviewing and providing submissions on draft state policy, seeking increases in the provision of social and affordable housing, and funding for housing actions.
The plan identifies the need for interaction between all parties, government and private, to ensure the successful delivery of actions and initiatives to e improve housing responses in the short and longer-term.
