Fast-tracking approvals for Granny Flats could go a long way towards improving the housing
shortage.
A report from CoreLogic and Archistar Blackfort says if property owners are offered
incentives, and the approvals process is sped up, more than 655,000 granny flats could be
built throughout Australia.
CoreLogic research director, Tim Lawless, says granny flats could be a cheaper way to
deliver housing.
“Granny flat developments leverage existing lot areas and require no changes to town
planning regulation, so they offer a level of immediacy to address housing shortages and
affordability pressures,” he says.
“This style of accommodation can be prefabricated and put on site quickly, so it doesn’t have
to go through the same timeline as a typical building project.”
The report identifies 242,000 properties suitable for granny flats in Sydney, 230,000 in
Melbourne and 185,000 in Brisbane.
Benjamin Coorey of Archistar says in Canada, homeowners are offered a $40,000 loan that
would be forgiven after five years if they build a “secondary suite”.