Lismore Community Tackles Housing Crisis in First-Ever People’s Assembly
On Saturday, 10 August, approximately fifty Lismore residents gathered at the Red Dove Cafe for the inaugural Lismore People’s Assembly, a participatory event designed to address the pressing housing crisis in the region. The diverse group, spanning ages from their twenties to seventies, came together to answer the question: “What can this community do to get everyone a home?” Despite the range of backgrounds, attendees shared a common willingness to listen, engage, and explore solutions collaboratively. Participants left with a stronger sense of community and a clear understanding of the actionable solutions within their reach.
Participatory Democracy in Action
The assembly embraced a deliberative democracy process, where participants actively listened, built upon each other’s ideas, and engaged creatively to generate solutions. The event’s legitimacy was rooted in its transparency and accessibility, welcoming everyone to participate.
After initial welcoming activities, the assembly heard from two speakers. Rose Walker from Goonellabah shared the struggles her community faces in managing housing through Many Rivers Aboriginal Regional Housing Management Service. Chels Hood Withey, founder of the Northern Rivers housing campaign House You, presented statistics on the housing crisis and shared solutions being implemented in neighbouring Byron Shire.
The heart of the assembly was the ‘break-out’ sessions, where smaller groups of around eight people discussed and deliberated for 45 minutes. A notetaker in each group captured the most popular ideas, which were then shared with the full assembly. The group voted on the top ideas, which were organised into three main areas of concern and possible solutions: the use of empty buyback houses for housing, regulatory solutions, and community-based cooperative models. Suggestions were categorised into short-term and long-term actions.
Outcomes
The assembly identified three key areas for action:
- Use of Empty Buyback Houses: Proposals for repurposing empty homes to address housing shortages.
- Regulatory Solutions: Ideas for policy changes to support affordable housing and prevent homelessness.
- Community-Based Cooperative Models: Initiatives to establish cooperative housing solutions that empower residents and ensure long-term housing security.
Quotes from the Event
- Andrew George, Assembly Founding Member: “This assembly, although brief, demonstrated a joyous and community-building democracy process that bypasses vested interests and lobbyists and empowers us to come up with ideas together. Whoever is re-elected, we will keep bringing the community together in assemblies because our society faces too many challenges to expect the existing institutions to solve them. It’s up to us.”
- Leboya, International Student at SCU: “Honestly, it started well and finished amazingly. I don’t know what more I could add except a helping hand if you ever need. Thank you, Lismore People’s Assembly.”
- Rose Walker, Local Bundjalung Resident: “I found the assembly today absolutely wonderful. We need to fight for homes for each and every one of us. I feel joy, part of a family here today. Which is gonna give me strength to keep going and fighting the fight.”
- Chels Hood Withey, House You: “Empty homes should be lived in. Housing should be a human right. It was really awesome to see everyone working together to collaborate on the solutions. I’m feeling good!”
What’s Next
The Lismore People’s Assembly plans to hold its next assembly in approximately six weeks, continuing to bring the community together to share, participate, and deliberate on pressing issues. The topic for the next assembly will be determined by ongoing outreach efforts. The organising group meets weekly on Thursdays at 2 PM and is actively seeking new members to join. Those interested can contact reclaimourrecovery@protonmail.com to get involved.
Background
Reclaim our Recovery (ROR) has been advocating for democratic community involvement in flood recovery since early 2022. The Lismore People’s Assembly represents a new chapter in their grassroots efforts, aiming to bring transparency and inclusivity to the forefront of local decision-making. Recent outreach has revealed widespread dissatisfaction with traditional political institutions, prompting ROR to champion a reinvention of democracy that starts from the ground up, right in Lismore.
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