Housing Plus last week announced that it would be spending $75 million across Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo to build around 220 new social and affordable homes to meet what is clearly a growing demand.

Bathurst has been allocated 47 of the new homes, expected to comprise $15 million of the investment, and vacant land on Havannah Street has been earmarked for development.

"We're adopting a 'salt and pepper' approach to this project by making sure that we have a mix of social, affordable and private housing in any given neighbourhood," Housing Plus project director Justin Cantelo said.

It's no secret that housing prices have soared over the past two decades or so, and even regional centres like Orange and Bathurst have been swept up in the boom.

And while that is great news for existing home owners it is a disaster for people trying to buy their first home and even more difficult with those on low or fixed incomes.

The Housing Plus model is about providing options for all income levels, so what could be wrong with that?

Nothing, you would think, except that when Housing Plus has announced similar projects in Orange they have been met with strident opposition from residents living nearby.

Residents on Forbes Road and, more recently, Lantana Place, have railed against the proposed location of low-income housing adjacent to or near their properties.

For some, it's been a classic NIMBY reaction - "yes, it's a good idea, but not in my backyard".

Top of the list of some residents' objections has been the concern that proximity to a Housing Plus social housing project might impact real estate prices for other homes in the area.

So it will be interesting to see if Bathurst residents react as strongly to the announcement of similar facilities in their neck of the woods.

No one can question that there is a need in our city, and others, for more affordable housing options, and Housing Plus is looking to meet that need.

We can all acknowledge that, but it's fair to say not all of us would be willing to welcome that kind of development in our own street or neighbourhood.