In the middle of a housing crisis, where women are some of the most impacted, how do we get women into their own homes?
This is one of the core missions of Women’s Village Collective (WVC) , the non-profit organisation, which came together as a grassroots movement in 2020 to address the homelessness and housing stress so many were facing in our community.
With the help of Flood Support funding from The NSW Government, the Women’s Village Collective are targeting financial preparedness, equipping people with what is needed to access housing opportunities.
Not financially ready to access opportunities
Those seeking housing need to be financially ready to access opportunities. Many are not. While some are ready but struggling to find the gap in the market, others need financial preparedness to support them towards future housing options.
To get there you need to know what support is available, what you need to do to meet funding criteria and what you need to do to be considered for a bank loan.
The Housing Solutions Workshop is happening over two dates with the first one featuring speakers from the Bendigo Bank addressing how people access the appropriate Government Home Buyer schemes, like the NSW Shared Equity Home Buyer, targeted directly to single parents, single people over 50, key workers or first time home buyers. This allows eligible first time regional home buyers to enter the housing market with as little as a 5 per cent deposit. The Family Home Guarantee provides eligible single parents with dependents the opportunity to build a new home or purchase an existing home with a deposit of 2 per cent, subject to the individual’s ability to service a home loan.
Sharing insights
Also speaking is a mortgage broker with 25 years experience sharing their insights on how to get market ready to buy a home.
Other speakers include Scott Wharton from Green Vision, who is the developer for Vue Eco Village in Goonellabah, speaking about tackling housing affordability as a key building outcome.
Dr Dionne Payne, with a background in finance and delivering affordable housing will speak on how charitable organisations can support traditional housing models and help more people access property.
Sama Balson the WVC founder will share her findings on solutions available through three years of gathering both expert advice on housing models and working with the community on what needs to change to close the gaps of those with homes and those without.
Events open to everyone
These events are open to everyone who wants to learn more about housing solutions.
The first event in the series will be at: Marvell Hall in Byron Bay, this Wednesday, April 5, from 10am – 2pm with on site childcare available. Lunch is also available, bookings are essential.
The following event on May 2 at Byron Community Theatre will include speakers from the Byron Shire Council Planning Department and town planners to help understand the mechanics of different housing structures.
These workshops will be followed up with ongoing community development and support from the WVC.
To register and find out more go to womensvillagecollective.
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