The transitional group home would help ease people into public housing during the city's housing shortage, according to planning documents submitted to Tamworth Regional Council.

Homes North plans to operate the new transitional home.

CEO Maree McKenzie said they often use individual rooms in local motels as crisis accommodation in any case, and the facility will continue to operate like a motel.

READ MORE:

By employing an onsite manager to operate the service, the ownership model directly eliminates the middleman of the motelier, and allows the public housing service to link people directly to services more efficiently, she said.

"This is about us running our own motel and having a service that's targeted to people until they're in permanent housing," she said.

"That motel model already exists for people who are homeless, but it's in various motels around town."

About eight homeless people would live in the converted motel for a maximum term of three months, until other accommodation can be organised for them.

Most people who stay at the new accommodation will be there for a far shorter term, Ms McKenzie said.

Want more local news? Subscribe to the Leader to read it here first

It will be for "people who don't have a home and are looking for a home," she said.

The site, at 303 Goonoo Goonoo Road, currently the South Tamworth Motor Inn, was once the Motabelle Motel.

Planning agency Perception Planning prepared the development application. It argued that the site is "more commensurate" with residential uses, rather than for the tourist purposes it had historically been used for.

A spokesperson for the firm said the temporary motel-type accommodation "is critically-needed social infrastructure."

"Temporary accommodation needs have increased significantly due to the tightening property market," the spokesperson said.

"Along with the significant increase of residential rent and higher demand it has been difficult for the local community members to maintain their properties. The significant increase to the cost of living has exasperated the situation.

Support the local news that keeps you informed - subscribe today.

"Temporary accommodation is an existing service which has been provided locally for many years, this site will be an extension to the existing service.

"Our client is committed to working with any concerned residents and Council to alleviate any concerns to enable such an appropriate and well-needed land use to be provided for the community."

The proposed development does not require any major building works.

Documents submitted with the project DA cite the region's housing shortage to justify the change of use.

"This is worsened for those individuals and families affected by domestic and family violence, and women and men exiting custody," it argues.

Have your say, send a letter to the editor.

"The proposed development provides for the housing needs of the community by providing suitable safe housing for people within a crisis, particularly those experiencing homelessness, resulting from affordable housing shortages within the area."

Under state planning rules, Tamworth council is not permitted to refuse consent to the development unless it first makes an assessment of the community need for it, according to the project DA.

Under the Group Homes of the Housing SEPP 2021 it is also not permitted to "impose a condition on a consent granted for a group home only because the development is for the purposes of a group home".

The DA is open for public comment until August 4.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: