According to the early responders to Orange City Council's housing strategy survey, residents are backing plans for the city to grow into greenfield sites identified in the the Draft Local Housing Strategy (DLHS).

The online survey, which contains a dozen questions, is part of OCC's exhibition process for its DLHS, which is open for public comment until the end of February.

In its first week a handful of people have taken the opportunity to let council know what they think on the future of housing in the city, and council is encouraging more to log on to yoursay.orange.nsw.gov.au/orange-s-housing-future.

Over 300 people have viewed the page which also encourages comments.

So far, council taking action to secure Orange's water resources was supported by 88 per cent of respondents

Almost 90 per cent support OCC taking action to address a shortage of affordable housing in Orange while the same number agree Orange must grow outward into the areas specified by the DLHS.

Almost 78 per cent support council acting to encourage diversified housing types, including more one and two bedroom dwellings as well as three and four bedroom builds.

The DLHS was developed to provide council with a strategy to tackle Orange's projected growth to around 2050.

Data used to compile the document was largely taken from the 2016 census but the DLHS has been described as a living document which can be upgraded when this year's census data is compiled.

Australian Bureau of Statistics suggest Orange's population is 42,503 and has a median age of 37. There were 18,130 houses here but residents lived in 16,368 of them.

In 2016, that meant 2.45 people per household.

Only 42 per cent of couples in Orange have children but 79 per cent of dwellings have more than three bedrooms.

Fast forward to 2041 and Orange's population will be closer to 52,000 and, if trends evolve, the population might be larger but households will be smaller, with the projected number 2.27 people.

Currently three and four bedroom dwellings make up almost 70 per cent of all private dwellings. More than 60 per cent of the houses in Orange have two or less people yet only 17 per cent of the existing housing stock are one and two bedroom properties.

Although there is demand for single freestanding dwellings which represents 86 per cent of the housing stock, the draft strategy found there is an increasing demand for the delivery of smaller dwellings which are better suited to smaller households.

Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said there would be continued demand for some larger households so there was room for older households to share their home with visiting family and grandkids.

"The data shows the city is changing so we need to get the mix right and making sure we have the right mix of housing types will influence housing affordability," Cr Kidd.

"Council has been working with the housing industry and providers to better understand the barriers to residential development in and supply and demand of alternative housing types.

"There might be a willingness for smaller housing types but the stock is not available."

"The challenge is to support social and cultural diversity through increasing housing diversity and choice.

"This includes retaining and attracting residents on high and lower incomes, key workers, transient employees, those who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, families with children, people with disability, older residents, long-term renters, students, people living alone, shared households and more."

The strategy is on exhibition until 21 February 2022.

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