Council may raise rents

Council housing rents could rise by $10 a week, which would push the cost of a single partitioned flat through the $100 a week threshold for the first time.

If approved, the across-the-board increase would follow an $8 increase last year and increases of between $12 and $22 the year before.

Bumping up rents from August 1 would increase the revenue the council gets from its community houses but would be absorbed by rising costs.

The council's pre-draft annual plan shows the increase would improve council housing revenue from $5.233 million to $5.709 million.

Councillors have been advised the change would meet the climbing costs of contractors and maintenance, and the cost of depreciation.

It would also meet the council's break-even funding policy, which says housing rental values will not be more than the cost of operating them.

The council has 996 units with an estimated market value of $64.5 million. The occupancy rate sits about 93%, housing manager Sharron Tipa said.

 

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