Council considers height bonus for developments in some shire zones to encourage affordable rental housing units

The bonus is among a range of measures recommended by council staff to address what shire community workers say is a rental housing crisis impacting low to medium income earners.

Other proposed measures include reduced parking requirements, the preparation of an Affordable Housing Contributions Scheme for any areas rezoned for high-rise and an education program to improve community understanding.

The recommendations were discussed at Monday night's council meeting, but a decision was deferred until after a briefing on the proposed Affordable Housing Contributions Scheme.

Under a state government planning policy, low to medium income earners renting affordable housing properties usually pay 20 - 25 per cent below market rent.

Jacob Trow and his partner Adriana are among shire residents already benefiting from the policy.

They live in the new Meridian development at Miranda, built by Aware Super, which has an entire building of 51 affordable rental housing units reserved for essential workers, such as police, paramedics and nurses.

Mr Trow, who moved from the Hunter Valley to take a job at the Rural Fire Service's shire headquarters at Heathcote, said the lower rent had taken the stress out of the change.

"It is also good being with other people such as disability workers, nurses and other front-line workers," he said. "We find it very family oriented, with lots of kids running around."

A council report said affordable dwellings were needed for essential workers, infrastructure workers, the creative sector, hospitality and tourism industries, who were "important to the area's economic activities and social and cultural diversity".

Research this year by the NSW Council of Social Service found low-income earners in the shire had the highest rate of housing stress in Sydney.

On Tuesday night, Engadine Uniting Church hosted a community forum on the "rental housing crisis".