The Sydney Morning Herald reported that on January 13, the Housing Support Service Agency for Forest fires was announced to be established by Minister of Family Services Gareth Ward and Minister of Transport Andrew Constance in New South Wales.
The election areas of these two leaders are being devastated by fires, Kiama and Bega respectively. More than 700 homes in the two areas were burned, of which 2,100 across the state have been in a similar situation since the forest fires.
Ward urged: If you own a property in a fire-affected area and currently have no need to use it, share it with your family to help them have a safe and solid place to live during this difficult period.
We encourage homeowners to join hands to support and list their rental properties, so that the New South Wales government can help people have a decent place to live, Ward said.
This program will provide support for rental houses and increase rental costs, as well as help people in homeless situations to contact the owners of shared houses.
Mr. Constance also called for if you can, lets make your coastal homes and resorts useful for locals who are in dire need of housing for a short time. That will help families who are unable to make ends meet to rearrange their lives and rebuild their homes in the next few months.
Constance, who has worked to help restore areas in his election area throughout the summer, said more accommodation is needed than currently available.
Our people are living in parking lots, hotels, staying with neighbors and friends, in warehouses. We need to have a place for them.
Two weeks ago, a social media site called Find A Bed was launched by Erin Riley to help people share a home or a house with those left empty-handed after a fire. She used her own house as a temporary shelter for people after the New Year's Eve fires, which was later widely spread on social media, causing her to decide to expand this service. Ms. Riley said, The scale of the show is amazing. Currently, we have more than 8,500 shared houses. It is a privilege to be able to help everyone.
Up to now, the service has helped more than 100 families have houses and necessary household items.
A team of more than 50 volunteers have supported the activities of Find A Bed, a service that is currently in the process of registering to become a non-profit organization. Providing and sharing accommodation has spread across Australia and around the world.
