8 February 2016

The government’s ‘Future Directions for Housing in NSW’ is a welcome step forward after many years of declining budgets, reducing numbers of homes and big maintenance backlogs, tied with increasing waiting lists.

The key strategy of handing public land to developers in exchange for redeveloping social housing will get the government out of the current limbo, but leave the community with a smaller asset base in future. Redeveloping large estates with 30 per cent social and affordable housing won’t result in enough low cost housing to meet community needs, but it makes sense to reduce concentrations of disadvantage.

The plans to help more people get on their feet with schooling, training, jobs, support to get into private rental and removal of penalties when tenants get work are good steps – if the  policy recognises tenants with complex needs need secure housing and the new programs are not used as punishment. The policy is HERE.