Following Bellingen Shire Council’s recent housing crisis declaration, the Housing Matters Action Group and flatmate.com are working together to help the community find new housing options for locals. The Community Hosting Program will match people in precarious housing who have strong ties to the Bellingen Shire with homeowners with spare rooms. This could also help homeowners who could use some extra income, help around the house or who would welcome some company.
Hosts and lodgers will be supported by the Housing Matters Hub to register on flatmate.com and look for a suitable match, based on things like age, gender, interests and location. Police checks will be mandatory for all participants. The Hub will support both hosts and lodgers during an initial 3-month trial which is long enough for both parties to be confident that they are a good match. Once the Community Hosting Program has been piloted it could be rolled out by other communities.
The Housing Matters Action Group is holding an information session on 3 July 2021 to see what interest there is among homeowners in the Bellingen Shire to open their homes to a lodger.
Chair of the Housing Matters Action Group Kerry Pearse explained; “We have a regional housing crisis and it’s getting worse. At the same time, there are people across the Shire who live in large houses and want to downsize but can’t because there are so few smaller dwellings available. Some of these people have said that they would welcome a lodger and benefit from extra income or help around the house.”
John Stericker of flatmate.com said “The flatmate.com team are proud to work with Housing Matters in Bellingen to support this important community initiative. We are providing the platform to allow members of the community to register their interest in the initiative and make the process of connecting as easy and trouble free as possible.”
For interviews or more information contact:
Kerry Pearse, 0411 671 673, [email protected] Stericker 0412179915
Community Hosting Program Host/Homeowner Information SessionDate: Saturday 3 July, 10:00am-11:00am
Location: St Margaret’s Church Hall, 100 Hyde Street Bellingen
More information
Community Hosting Program information pack www.housingmatters.org.au www.facebook.com/HousingMattersActionGroupCommunityhosting.org
The Housing Matters Action Group Inc is grateful for Bellingen Shire Council’s contribution to our operating coststhrough the Bellingen Shire Disaster and Recovery Resilience Program.
the Housing Matters Action Group and flatmate.com are working together to develop a pilot program -The Community Hosting Program
Brilliant creative work ?
what a brilliant ideaI
For years I had a spare room.usually managed to get a ‘mate’ but ‘flat mate.com would have made it so much easier.
What a wonderful incentive I hope this helps people who really need a place to live.