Last weeks Resilient Homes Program announcement by Premier Chris Minns that 400 blocks will be constructed on Crawford Road, East Lismore was the first of many announcements residents of Lismore and the Northern Rivers can expect in 2024 with a result of thousands of new and relocated homes in place in 2026.

With 20% of the 400 blocks set aside for Affordable Housing, there is hope that Lismore's housing crisis will start to ease as more properties come onto the market that families on moderate incomes can afford.

Just down the road on Crawford Road is the East Lismore POD Village.

Residents in the village have been somewhat forgotten as the focus has been on long-term housing supply rather than the immediate housing for those who cannot afford $450 to $600 a week rent or who are still waiting for an insurance company or NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) answer to the Resilient Homes Program following on from the 2022 big flood.

We asked NSWRA for an update on the East Lismore POD Village.

A spokesperson said, "The Reconstruction Authority will work with landowners, including councils on the future of the temporary pod villages in the Northern Rivers.

"Decisions on the future of sites will be made in consultation with relevant stakeholders. Most lease agreements for the Northern Rivers villages expire in 2025, and NSW Reconstruction Authority is focused on working with Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and other relevant agencies to ensure that residents have longer-term housing options to transition to and that they are being supported in this process. 

"As at 2 February 2024, the occupancy rate of the East Lismore Pod Village is 94%."

It is difficult to not see the East Lismore Pod Village being closed down for at least another two years.