A vacant house in Gunnedah will be up for sale soon as part of an initiative to address housing affordability issues.
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Gunnedah's councillors voted at the June ordinary council meeting to sell 61 Lincoln Street, where the funds would then be put in a restricted asset to develop a local housing strategy for affordable housing.
According to a Gunnedah Shire Council spokesperson, the council-owned property has "been vacant for some time", and is used as temporary medical accommodation.
The spokesperson said that the strategy would be "likely to include an investigation of the need for affordable housing in the shire and look at strategies for addressing the issues of affordability".
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Gunnedah Family Support chief executive officer Veronica Rodenburg said it was a "very proactive step" for the council to be taking.
"Gunnedah is part of a mining community and wherever there's mining, there is often a supply and demand issue for housing, in particular for low-income families," Ms Rodenburg said.
"In housing strategies, it's not just about bricks and mortar, it's the transport surrounding that, support services surrounding that, the parks, churches, shops, doctors as part of that as well.
"It's meeting the needs of the people who live in the bricks and mortar."
Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey said he was "quite pleased" with the recommendation put forward at the meeting.
"I'm very happy to add my support to the recommendation to sell the property ... and to utilise the funds for the generation of a clear pathway strategic approach to look at an area that is of concern within our shire, and as we continue to grow, will become a greater concern for future generations," Cr Chaffey told Australian Community Media.
Council staff will now seek expressions of interest from local real estate agents and select a preferred agent for the sale.