FigTree Farm Collective & Sonic Steel Announce Partnership - Bringing Future Proof Container Homes to the Northern Rivers…
“This Partnership significantly increases housing options for Northern Rivers residents, who are experiencing an affordability crisis”. Chelsea Veitch, CEO FigTree Farm Collective.
THE CURRENT SITUATION:
Local council statistics reveal only .03% of houses for rent within the Northern Rivers are deemed affordable. The people who live and work in the Northern Rivers, are among the lowest paid; Retail, Hospitality, Social and Health Services… This beautiful sacred area; where the rainforest meets the rivers and sea is facing ever increasing rent that demands between 59% and 66% of household budgets. Older single women face the worst impact of this rental crisis across the region. One third (33%) of community organisations reported that housing and homelessness was the most significant issue affecting their communities over the past 12 months, followed by mental health and well-being (28%). (NRCF 2024 Research). Recently published statistics on the Lismore App digital Newspaper show just how dire the combination of the 2022/2023 flood and cost of living crisis have affected the Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay and greater Northern Rivers regions.
Renting, let alone buying a home or securing a long term, affordable rental in the Northern Rivers since the 2021/2022 floods has become infinitely more difficult with many faced with housing insecurity. At the same time, many landowners in the region have been struggling with their own mortgage, property upkeep and uncertainty of traditional property income sources with climate change and cost of living crisis.
For over 6 years, FigTree Farm Collective (FTFC) has dedicated itself to investigating and researching economy innovations in sustainable, high quality, future proof, housing solutions. Our research has taken us from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and abroad. FTFC soon to be completed Sonic Steel Mark Twins was the real genesis of FTFC commitment to advanced, circular economic builds which are apparent in their superiority to traditional build models, not just in time and money but in quality, occupant comfort and real time economic savings.
About FigTree Farm Collective
FigTree Farm Collective is a Social Enterprise dedicated to disrupting the traditional housing market by delivering high quality, Future Proof, sustainable housing solutions to residents in the Northern Rivers.
Since 2019, FigTree Farm Collective has been developing our Social Enterprise model of Affordable Housing and have helped many previous clients achieve housing affordability, security and predictability in a market that has been unstable, expensive and highly stressful. This announcement marks a new stage of growth for FigTree Farm Collective as we offer state of art, Sonic Steel Future Proof Homes to the Northern Rivers Market.
About Sonic Steel
Sonic Steel has been leading the Shipping Container Housing industry in Australia since 2014. With an structural and internal understanding of shipping containers, Sonic Steel brings our clients' vision for a container home to life, focusing on the individual's specific needs, including desires to create a personalised design and living space. Sonic Steel’s unique approach to container home building ensures that each client not only gets the opportunity to have their container home built in an average of 12 weeks from design sign off, but ensured their solid mark in Australian Container Home Market, producing investments that will last generations.
“The Northern Rivers is such an ideal market for the tireless work Sonic Steel has put into R&D to create sustainable, high quality affordable container homes; Combined with the local expertise and network of FigTree Farm Collective, this partnership is an exciting evolution in the growth of Sonic Steel as the premier choice for Container Homes in Australia ”. Son Voong, Director Sonic Steel
Media Contacts:
Chelsea Veitch
FigTree Farm Collective
hello@figtreefarm.co
Son Voong
Sonic Steel
Son@sonicsteel.com.au