Rental pain still acute in Lismore

Lismore has made it into the top 5 of the Rental Pain Index for September 2024 in New South Wales.

And Mark Ezzat, his

“Then I thought, maybe it would be better to come here and go to the inspections.

“However, at every inspection there are at least 10 people, sometimes 20, so there is a lot of competition.” the report, 38 per cent of income is being spent on rent alone.

Bellingen was at the top of the list where renters in the Mid-North Coast area were paying on average 41 per cent of their income on rent wife, Caroline, and their little boy, Andy, who is 2.5 years old, are the faces of the pain many renters who are moving to Lismore, are feeling when it comes to fnding accommodation.

“I am facing a big problem,” said Mark.

“Before moving to Lismore, we were living in Tamworth and now we are currently living in a motel while we look for somewhere to live.”

As a pharmacist, Mark and his little family have moved to Lismore to take up work and while, they are excited to start a new life on the Northern Rivers, they are effectively homeless.

“I had started looking for a house here, while I was in Tamworth,” he said.

Mark said his family aren’t looking for a big house, even a unit would be fne.

“We would be happy with just two bedrooms, somewhere in Goonellabah or Lismore Heights,” he said.

With many stories like the Ezzat family, it is no surprise the new data released by Suburbtrends’ Rental Pain Index on Local Government Areas has been described as sobering.

Many regions are still experiencing extreme rental stress due to low vacancy rates and a shortage of affordable rental stock.

Over the last 12 months Lismore has seen a rental increase of eight per cent.

This means that on average, according to

Diary of a Flood Survivor

It boggles the mind when you realise that it has been just over 2.5 years since the devastating foods hit the Northern Rivers. But it is good to know there are still people working to help people move back into their homes.

Recently, Resilient Lismore announced the return of the Repair to Return Project, which has been working to getting homeowners back to their homes.

And while they have already restored over 600 homes to a liveable condition, they want more members in the community to get assistance through this program.

Work they will undertake includes reinstating bathrooms and kitchens, electrical support, resheeting walls, installing and repairing stairs, repairing and replacing foors and providing lockable windows and doors. You can contact them at their website resilientlismore.org.au or phone 0455 218 692.

The Hands and Hearts Project recently teamed up with the Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre in an auspicing partnership to raise essential funds to purchase trades time and materials for home repairs.

Find out more at their website www. handsandheartsproject. com.au.

The Rebuilding NR and dealing with a vacancy rate of only 0.8 per cent.

2022 initiative has also announced on their Facebook page the revitalisation of their plans dedicated to assisting the original 100 homes on their list. You can fnd out more on their Facebook page Rebuilding NR 2022 Connecting and Supporting the Flood Affected.

As for the stage we are at, we have decided to get more solar panels on our roof, upgrade the front door and fnally get the water tank fxed. It was moved in the food and hasn’t been connected to the house since that time. These are tactics to try and save money in the long run with our electricity bill and water charges. Oh, and also to make the front of the house look nice again. Then we concentrate on getting the downstairs area fxed again, but it is still a long road.

Little steps.

Other more painful areas before Lismore included Fairfeld, Cowra and Singleton. Solutions proposed by the People’s Commission into Australia’s Housing Crisis report include implementing caps on rent increases, abolishing no-cause evictions and enforcing minimum housing standards.

Faith-based groups, such as Sydney Anglican Property (SAP), which manages property assets of the Anglican Church in Sydney, is leveraging its land and buildings for broader community benefts.