Byron Shire Community Land Trust Foundation
About the organisation
Homelessness in Byron is the highest anywhere in the state and is still on the rise. The Byron Shire Community Land Trust (BSCLT) has been set up to tackle the problem at a grass roots level. Land donated to the trust will be used to create rental accommodation that will never be sold, thus separating it from fluctuations and changes in the property market, which will keep rents low.
Rare in Australia, a Community Land Trust is the only way to permanently conserve land, while also keeping rental prices from skyrocketing out of reach for the groups of people in the community that need it most. By reducing the price of renting somewhere to live, and lowering the cost of living, the Byron Shire Land Trust is providing lasting real-world solutions.
Our commitment
The Rekindle Foundation has partnered with the BSCLT and has committed to support the construction of the pilot project through providing $150,000 each year over a three-year period.
Pilot project
The BSCLT’s pilot project and first development is the construction of a group home, custom designed to meet the needs of women and children in the Byron Shire. The project has a total of five bedrooms and two bunk rooms, connected to the communal living pavilion, via a secure and covered walkway.
Once constructed the pilot project will be leased to social housing providers and the income used to create a capital base for future projects. The BSCLT’s intention is to create a replicable model which as a proven concept can be rolled out across the shire (and potentially broader).