Our post Covid economic recovery should include large scale investment in social and affordable housing. NSW can fast track building infrastructure that will provide a buffer to the most disadvantaged in the post Covid economic and social downturn by building and renovating homes that people can afford.
A state led affordable housing boost will support the construction industry by building urgently needed social and affordable housing, not fast-tracking private developer projects with no positive community outcomes.
Social and affordable housing should be funded as urgent infrastructure with government investment providing a safeguard against increasing social disadvantage.
We believe that the following initiatives will ensure that housing is affordable, sustainable and available to those who need it and are most impacted by the economic downturn facing us all.
- Large scale investment in building social and affordable housing including 30,000 social homes per year for 10 years
- 100% social and affordable housing on public land - reject Communities Plus housing formula and audit all available state land and properties
- No sell off of public land or public housing
- Councils to be funded to fast track Local Housing Strategies and Affordable Housing Policies to prioritise and maximise affordable housing
- Mandate 30% affordable housing on private housing developments
- End no grounds evictions and provide post Covid rent relief funding and continued moratorium on evictions with no arrears debt.
- Housing First approach to homelessness with no limit on temporary accommodation and increase in funding for specialist services and support.
- Zero emissions housing and retrofitting of existing housing
- Reform private student accommodation and build-to-rent planning instruments
NSW has a large social and affordable housing deficit with a 10 year waiting list for social housing.
The recent Equity Economics report commissioned by NCOSS, “A Wave of Disadvantage across NSW: Impact of the Covid-19 Recession” offers some extremely concerning statistics including a 24% increase in families experiencing housing stress and the same increase statewide in individuals experiencing homelessness with some regions in the state experiencing a 40% increase.
The Anglicare Rental Affordability Update from August this year indicated that ‘renters are on the frontline of the Coronavirus pandemic.’ The findings show that a person who is unemployed can only afford 1% percent of rentals – and that’s with the increased Job Seeker payments. With Job Seeker reduced, affordable rental availability will plummet with only 13 rental listings out of 77,000 being affordable.
Everybody’s Home is calling for 500,000 social and affordable homes nationally by 2026 and 5,000 social homes per year for 10 years in NSW.
