Antenly Tiny House with expansive glass elements
S.A Tiny Home Expo
The NSW government agreed to set up 58 pod homes for 2022 flood survivors in Brunswick Heads, homes to be available for key workers. They also promised to deliver 350+ new Social Housing properties in the Northern Rivers over a few years. Byron's mayor said a feasibility study would be completed to examine how best offer the housing and decide who’d be eligible. Teachers, police and other key workers looking to move into the Byron Shire would be offered accommodation in pods, originally built for flood survivors.
Byron's Mayor believed the homes for key workers was great news. They really needed a home as soon as possible; when many people that were homeless, they had to deliver long term affordable housing options quickly and not let this expensive resource to go to waste.
Interior view of single pod
Studio Nine Architects and Treehouse 3D
Pod with 2 bedrooms,
Instagram
NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson wanted Regional Councils to follow Byron's lead, to a future for everyone of those pods. The offer was still available for other Councils if they want to revisit it. Tweed Shire Council had earlier rejected an offer for a similar plan at its Kingscliff pod village, but the councillors could still rethink it. The move was announced as the NSW government unveiled plans for a historic pipeline of housing which included 35+ social housing to be built across the Northern Rivers by mid 2027.
The Tweed Shire will get 133 new homes, Richmond Valley will receive 69, while Lismore, Ballina and the Clarence Valley will get c50 each. It is actually the largest housing run in any part of regional NSW, so there’ll be more homes in this region than in the rest of the state. The state government announced it would transform a former Tweed Heads retirement village into 70 supported housing units, already bought under its Housing Innovation Fund.
Elderly couples who were verging on homelessness found they had to move out of their rental home of 30 years, until space was found in a temporary accommodation facility. If the couples were on a pension, they could not afford to rent a place for c$900/week. NSW Premier Chris Minns said innovative projects were crucial in a region with 4,100+ people on the social housing waiting list, including 1,200+ on the priority list.
Theresa Mitchell manager of homelessness outreach service Agape, said 133 new social housing properties in the Tweed was nothing compared to the number of homeless people. Some clients recently entered social housing after 21 years on the waiting list! It is clearly not going to solve the problem; it's not even going to halve the problem. Breaking the cycle of homelessness by providing real change through an innovative, sustainable and integrated housing solution, in a community. There is a current shortage of affordable housing for in Australians experiencing homelessness.
Forage Built is a social enterprise and partnership made between S9 Director Andrew Steele, Forage Supply Co founders Scott Rogasch and Justin Westhoff, Zoe Steele of Otello and Tim Pearce of Frame Creative. Aiming to have the smallest impact on the environment, and biggest impact on the community the group united to break the home-lessness cycle. The Calyx Project aims to fight homelessness, creating villages where needy people can find safe accommodation and a sense of community.
The Cupitt's Estate, Ulladulla NSW.
Prefabulous
Prefabulous
Pod villages were set up across the Northern Rivers after the 2022 floods,
ABC News
The solution begins with the design of the Calyx-16 by Andrew Steele: a 16sq m, safe, affordable, transportable, energy efficient and eco-friendly dwelling. Unlike past solutions such as the temporary use of motels, the Calyx-16 concept promotes a protective layer around a core, creating its own protective haven around the occupant, to sleep safely and to store belongings.
Each pod has a kitchenette-living room, porch, ensuite and storage space - compact and dignified. The pod design includes all materials that are recycled, cost-effective, carbon neutral and robust. The Calyx-16 can be configured in multiple ways eg additional family sleeping quarters and living space.
Each pod has a kitchenette-living room, porch, ensuite and storage space - compact and dignified. The pod design includes all materials that are recycled, cost-effective, carbon neutral and robust. The Calyx-16 can be configured in multiple ways eg additional family sleeping quarters and living space.
porch and sunchairs
Forage Calyx 16
City Mag
Using white externally was environmentally sound due to its solar reflection, standing out in an urban setting and symbolising new beginnings. The interior is unexpected, generous in space and successful in achieving a homely feeling. The Calyx homes are not designed to exist in isolation but are placed in a community in a larger village. To successfully pilot the first village and succeed in the overarching vision, 5 factors are needed:
1. a socially conscious developer or landowner,
2. a financier,
3. services provider,
4. management by a non-for-profit housing provider and
5. employment opportunities by a social enterprise.
1. a socially conscious developer or landowner,
2. a financier,
3. services provider,
4. management by a non-for-profit housing provider and
5. employment opportunities by a social enterprise.
The team ran an extensive consultation and survey process, speaking to the intended clients, to know how they would best use the space and interact in the village. Collaboration with the Council was also required re how any social impact might be managed. A village will include a cluster of pods, with the agency placing people into homes in cohorts, to manage social risks. One pod is allocated to a case worker to reside onsite and provide 24 hour support to the residents, and managed by the non-for-profits. This allows residents to safely: form a community, access services, skills training and transition back into permanent housing, and the workforce through employment with an aligned company. The goal is to help people sustain long term housing with this skill development, ending repeated homelessness.
A larger communal pod will be located in the centre of the site, housing a kitchen, laundry, space for events and skill workshops. Utilising S9 and Forage Built’s network, in-kind donations, financial contributions & strategic partnerships have been crucial, resulting in the model pod construction. Awareness campaigns enable the community, individuals and businesses to become involved.
Through community partnerships, the prototype pod has been displayed at Tasting Australia, Fringe Festival, Rundle Mall and IKEA, supporting the enterprise’s sustainability.
A flood recovery pod village in Brunswick Heads Byron Shire
ABC News
I would happily live in a pod if I was alone, but it would have to have a front garden with a couple of trees, small lawn and flowers.
A larger communal pod will be located in the centre of the site, housing a kitchen, laundry, space for events and skill workshops. Utilising S9 and Forage Built’s network, in-kind donations, financial contributions & strategic partnerships have been crucial, resulting in the model pod construction. Awareness campaigns enable the community, individuals and businesses to become involved.
Through community partnerships, the prototype pod has been displayed at Tasting Australia, Fringe Festival, Rundle Mall and IKEA, supporting the enterprise’s sustainability.
ABC News
I remain uncertain as to whether this initiative will truly succeed. In Victoria, a similar “Build in Your Backyard” scheme has been introduced, offering compact pod dwellings that require council approval. Priced at approximately AUD 60,000, each pod includes a kitchen, bathroom, and toilet
ReplyDeleteroentare
DeleteI am not sure whether the Build in Your Backyard is aiming for the same population. Although the granny flat looks like a pod, it is far more expensive (from $185,000 up) and is advertised as a smart investment. However granny will love having a small, private space... near family.
See https://isubdivide.com.au/granny-flat/
Is each pod available for sale? or for rent? Who is responsible for setting the prices?
ReplyDeleteJoe
DeleteThe cost of a pod house in Australia ranges between AUD 26,000 to AUD 150,000, depending on size, materials and location. Pre-fabricated pod homes can offer a more cost-effective solution while adding amenities can significantly increase the final cost. Also buyers should consider land costs, utility connections and any necessary permits, which can further add to the overall expenditure. See RediPodHouse.com
Now I will have to examine renting options.
Joe
DeleteI found plenty of pods to rent, but they are not cheap and they all discuss income production, not offering the homeless a cheapish rental. Worse still, the Victorian government is not currently offering pod houses for rent as a standard housing option.
All governments have a problem with providing sufficient affordable housing. The pod village at Brunswick Heads looks rather forbidding, regimented and uninspiring. As temporary accommodation it would suffice.
ReplyDeleteBrunswick Heads reminds me of Housing Commission flats when they first opened (1950s and 60s) in large cities for unemployed families or immigrants. Squishy and not attractive, but desperately needed.
DeleteThe Brunswick Heads village was a temporary housing village established for local residents who could not return home because of damage caused by the 2022 floods. It was to be decommissioned at the end of this year.
G'day mate
ReplyDeleteThese pods are such a clever idea to be honest. Compact, eco friendly, and with a real sense of community. and I love it. If mine had a little garden with a few flowers and maybe a comfy chair out front, I’d be perfectly happy to call it home.
Am following your blog.
Greetings from Indonesia
Asep, welcome aboard :)
Delete"Compact, eco friendly and with a real sense of community" .. all correct. And readily available in many council areas for people who cannot afford or don't need a full size family home.
But a small personal garden is essential, especially for Australians who prefer not to go into blocks of flats.
Hello Hels, It looks like Australia has reinvented the Trailer Park. I agree with the concerns of the other commenters, while admitting a necessity for emergency housing. But these "pods" look awful, and are only a short step from (or perhaps a type of) communal housing, with all its attendant problems. A few people will benefit from this type of housing, but history has shown over and over that developments of this sort fail or must be kept on life support, basically by government finance. Also, there is the serious problem that many homeless people are not "people without a house" but rather those who cannot maintain one for financial, mental health, or various other reasons. So, social services will have to be a built-in part of these ventures. This can further affect who will want to live in these units.
ReplyDeleteI just hope that no historic buildings or scenic/historic areas suffer to become pod sanctuaries.
--Jim
Parnassus
Deletealas homelessness seems to be going up, rather than going down. If the population is rising, and the number of affordable houses is falling, there will be more and more people left out. c125,000 people in Australia were experiencing homelessness after Covid, but most are not sleeping on the footpath. Rather they are in some sort of emergency accommodation.
Social services will be vital!
Those are fabulous little homes, and very attractive too. I'm so glad the government is building something "nice" for those people. Here they would just a trailer, which is better than nothing I guess. Hope August is going well for you.
ReplyDeleteErika
Deletethe pods may be very small, but they seem to provide decent and urgent accommodation for one or two adults. However I would not like to raise children in a pod.
Hi Helen! I like these capsule houses. But they are still temporary housing. People affected by the flood need real big houses or apartments.
ReplyDeleteIrina
Deletethe people whose houses floated away in the floods will never be able to afford proper houses, unless they had specific flood insurance (which VERY few people did). Those who were given decent accommodation in a pod village were very very grateful, even if the pods were temporary.
I think they are a great idea, but the sites will need very strong management, and effort to keep the buildings looking good.
ReplyDeleteAndrew
Deletethe sites will indeed need very strong management because home owners who saw their homes and goods destroyed, or recent widows/widowers, are likely to need support. And not just financial.
Better the pods no matter what shape than a tent, Hels. Gosh, so many houses or pods are needed for the needy.
ReplyDeleteMargaret
Deletetotally correct. I added images of many of the pods to show that even if they were small, the pods still looked good. For example, each pod included a microwave, bar fridge, full bathroom, etc etc
The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing provides subsidies and supplements to approved providers of aged care services, including residential care.
ReplyDeleteEach pod in the first pictures looks like an Ikea display room where they show just how easy it is to live in minimal space. I couldn't do it. I'm glad to have a safe roof over my head, but daily I swear at the tiny kitchen and freezing large bathroom/laundry combo. I do hope other states do similar things for the homeless that grow larger in number every year. I think back to the huts constructed quickly in immigrant camps and wonder why our governments can't do a few of those.
ReplyDeleteRiver
Deletenobody wants to live in a cupboard :( Spouse and I lived at the beginning of my husband's career in a hospital.. in a room and a half, and a tiny bathroom. And was very thankful.
But not now, unless there was no choice. As long as the pod had _plenty_ of natural light, and a living room that opened onto a porch and garden, I would be happy.