Community
16 December, 2024
Housing point of talks
CASSOWARY Coast councillors and officers, real estate agents, Department of Housing, health, housing and local community and not-for-profit providers including Innisfail Youth and Family Care have gathered to tackle the plight of homelessness in the region.
More than 30 people came together at the Innisfail RSL for the Cassowary Coast Regional Council’s first housing and homelessness round table with key speakers focusing on service delivery, the depth of housing and homelessness issues in the community and how all can work together to address the many and complex challenges.
Mayor Teresa Millwood said the event was an important step forward.
“Tuesday night’s turnout shows how much our community cares about housing issues. By working together, we can create real change,” she said.
“It was great to hear about innovative ideas like modular housing and the Department of Housing’s new 11-unit build on Ernest St.”
The new housing project on Ernest St will use a modern way of building to speed up construction.
Other topics included local support services, tiny homes, and ways to encourage more housing developments in the region.
Dr Jacqueline Murdock from the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service said that overcrowded and unhealthy homes could lead to more children under-15 going to the emergency department for illnesses like strep A and other infections.
Cr Millwood said one key outcome of the meeting was that there would be another round table next year.
She said the follow-up would check progress on actions from the local housing action plan that the council approved earlier this year.
“The conversations we’ve started will help us find real solutions to housing challenges in our region,” Cr Millwood said.
“We all need to keep working together to make this happen.”
She said the council was committed to being part of the solution to help create safe and affordable housing options for everyone in the community.
For more information on Housing in the Cassowary Coast, read the council’s housing plan at https://bit.ly/4g64ujr
