CHIA NSW is currently running the Confront the Crisis campaign, calling on political parties to confront the ongoing housing crisis in NSW.
Confront the Crisis is a campaign by Community Housing Industry Association NSW.
We are calling on each and every MP, each and every party in NSW to confront the housing crisis by committing to real, long-term investment in community housing.
There can be no doubt that there is a housing crisis in NSW.
There are 50,000 families on the social housing waitlist in NSW.
Many are waiting for 10 years or more for a home.
And we know this is likely to get worse. Rent prices are skyrocketing, interest rates are rising, and the cost-of-living continues to soar.
Social and affordable housing in NSW has been chronically underfunded for decades – but our state leaders have a chance to fix this.
Investment in community housing, through not-for-profit community housing providers, would change this.
It would get people off the waiting list, and into long-term, secure homes.
And for those who need it, it would give them a supportive network around them, to get them back on their feet.
We have a three-point plan for how we believe our State Government should confront this crisis.
Priority 1: Invest in NSW’s future by increasing the supply of social and affordable housing
- Create new housing supply by investing in a four-year $3 billion Social and Affordable Housing Innovation Fund to increase the supply of social, affordable, and key worker housing in Greater Sydney and regional NSW. To maximise the NSW Government’s investment, this should be delivered as a co-funded program through community housing providers and Aboriginal housing providers.
- Set a target of increasing the net stock of social and affordable housing to 10% of total residential dwellings in NSW by 2050.
- Mandate that all new residential developments exceeding 15 dwellings have at least 10% social and affordable housing. Increase that mandate to 30% for all developments on government-owned land.
- Extend the life of existing housing by committing $500 million over four years for a repairs and maintenance fund to upgrade ageing social housing properties.
- Establish a four-year $500 million Climate Resilience Fund to retrofit or renew ageing social and affordable housing properties managed by the NSW Government, community housing providers, and Aboriginal community housing providers.
Priority 2: Implement a NSW Social and Affordable Housing Investment Strategy
- Establish a NSW Social and Affordable Housing Investment Strategy to establish innovative transaction models, procurement approaches and a coordinated funding stream to develop new social and affordable housing. This would involve leveraging contributions from all levels of government, the private sector, superannuation funds, not-for-profit organisations, and philanthropic donations. This Strategy should coordinate with and take advantage of the Federal Government’s Housing Accord and Housing Australia Future Fund.
- Deliver a program that actively identifies and facilitates the use of government-owned land for social and affordable housing supply delivered by community housing providers and Aboriginal community housing providers. Introduce new rules for government-owned land that allow for government agencies to sell underutilised land to not-for-profit community housing providers at a discount for the purposes of developing social and affordable housing.
Priority 3: Reduce homelessness through a permanent Together Home Program
- Commit to a ‘Housing First’ Policy across NSW and embed the Together Home program through sustained investment of $25 million per year.
- Build an additional 200 social housing properties every year for people exiting from the Together Home program who are assessed as requiring longer-term housing and support.