Council offers $15,000 grants to kickstart local housing

Published on 15 May 2025

First-home owner Andre Stamatakakos, who received the Council Housing Grant.

Lismore City Council is offering $15,000 grants to help residents, landowners and housing providers build or relocate new homes within the Lismore Local Government Area.

This support is targeted, practical and designed to help those ready to take the next step — whether you’re rebuilding, downsizing or starting fresh.

Are you planning to build on newly purchased land?
Are you a first home buyer trying to make the numbers work?
Have you been flood-affected and want to relocate your house locally?
Do you own land and want to add a second small home — a granny flat, tiny home or dual occupancy?
Are you a developer or community housing group building affordable rental homes?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you could be eligible for a one-off $15,000 grant under Council’s Housing Grant Program.

The grants are designed to stimulate construction of smaller, smarter, more affordable homes across the Lismore area — and they’re already making an impact.

There are six clear categories under the scheme, including support for landowners adding a second dwelling, first home buyers, flood-affected relocations, Reconstruction Authority buyback participants, community housing providers and developers building multi-unit projects for affordable rental.

The grants are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until the full $1.2 million pool is committed. With nearly half already allocated, the time to apply is now.

Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg said the program is part of Council’s broader push to improve housing diversity and affordability across the region.

“This is a targeted, practical step we can take to help more people call Lismore home — especially those still recovering or trying to get a start in a tough housing market,” he said.

“The response so far has been encouraging, but we know there are still many out there who qualify and just haven’t applied yet.”

The grant is paid upon completion of the new dwelling, once an Occupation Certificate is issued. To be eligible, applicants must have lodged a Development Application, Complying Development Certificate or Section 68 application via the NSW Planning Portal.

For details or to apply, visit HERE.

Picture: First-home owner Andre Stamatakakos, who received the Council Housing Grant.