Community News - New law needed for Tiny Homes

Jacqueline Morton hosted a couple of tiny homes on wheels on her 32-acre Belli Park property, to be part of the solution to the housing crisis in her community, but it has resulted in a long battle to keep roofs over heads, with the Sunshine Coast Council issuing an Enforcement Notice ordering the decommissioning of the two dwellings on the property.

One of the residents, Judy, moved out of her caravan, hoping Council would leave the trio alone, but Ms Morton said that was not enough; they wanted a caravan in good working order made uninhabitable.

Jacqueline has been hosting grandmother Judy Stark and Angela Smith, a single mother of two young boys, during the housing crisis, providing them with some security and a sense of community. 

“It’s beyond belief that this is going on a time when affordable housing options are almost non-existent in our region and when councils Australia-wide are trialling progressive solutions to land use and mobile dwellings,” Helen Andrew, a local housing advocate said.

“Long gone are the days when caravans and converted buses were only used temporarily; now they are the only option for many, and they need somewhere stable to park and live in them long-term,” she explained.

The proposed new local law Ms Andrew is campaigning for recommends a sliding scale on the number of mobile tiny homes or caravans a landowner can host depending on the land size. Watch this space for any news! (Pictured: Helen Andrew, Judy Stark, Jacqueline Morton and Angela Smith on Angela’s tiny home-on-wheels deck.)