Hornsby Local Action
Where there’s a will, there’s a way home
With September’s Local Government Elections postponed until December 4th, it was brave of Sydney Alliance to proceed with its Coming Home to Hornsby Affordable Housing Assembly on August 19.
Some 178 of 190 registrants, representing 44 local organisations and Churches and including a majority of Hornsby Councillors and Mayor Philip Ruddock came together on-line to discuss Affordable Housing possibilities for Hornsby Shire.
After extensive community consultation in 2018, Council released its Affordable Housing Discussion Paper with a view to formulating an Affordable Housing Strategy. As yet, the Strategy has not issued but it was clear from this meeting and the ‘asks’ made of the councillors that the public believe that, given the dramatic increases in rents and residential real estate over the past year, an Affordable Housing Strategy, with clear targets and methods of increasing both affordable rental and housing stock must be given the highest priority and greatest urgency by the Council.
Three asks were put to the Mayor and six of seven councillors who attended, these were:
To approve an Affordable Housing Strategy before or at the first meeting of the new Council
Commit to a 15% Affordable Housing target for all new residential development in the redevelopment of Hornsby Town Centre.
Commit to lobbying the NSW Government to place a 15% Affordable Housing levy on residential development around Cherrybrook Metro Station.
Given that it was back in 2008 that the State Government first approached Hornsby Council to begin the process of developing an Affordable Housing Policy, one could not see the first of the above ‘asks’ gaining support.
All of the Councillors who spoke, apart from Clr. Emma Heyde, gave this ‘ask’ short shrift, arguing it would be unreasonable to impose such a complex issue on a new council and that further public consultation would need to take place before the Strategy could be approved. The public in the ‘Chat’ disagreed arguing that if the ‘Will’ were there, this strategy could be passed by the current Council before December 4. Others, after the meeting, agreed with the councillors and felt that this ‘ask’ was wrongly phrased.
Clr. Heyde answered ‘Yes’ to all three questions , the rest responded with “No” to all questions but with the reservation that they would ‘prioritise’ the approval in the new term. The word ‘Priority’ was also the buzz word used in responses to the 2nd and 3rd asks.
Clr. Nathan Tilbury put forward the idea of an affordable housing development near Pennant Hills Station; Clr. Mick Marr felt that the 15% target should be set for the entire Shire; Clr. Janelle McIntosh was concerned for the need to provide for older women and the disabled and would not make promises without consultation; Clr.Vince Del Gallego was concerned about density in Cherrybrook and the impact of overseas investors on housing affordability; Clr. Warren Waddell had reservations on what Affordable Housing could mean for the rural tracts of the Shire.
In terms of Ask 3 the consensus was that the State and Landcom were already discussing a 5-10% levy on the Cherrybrook development .
Obfuscation and semantic gobbledygook have plagued the passage of a meaningful policy on Affordable Housing in Hornsby Shire purely because definitions of what “affordable” as opposed to “social” housing is. It is now generally accepted that ‘affordable’ housing is housing for middle to low income households where Rent or Repayments do not exceed 30% of the household income. It is often housing that is developed by private or community housing providers. This is opposed to Social Housing which is both short and long term rental housing provided by Government.
Some suggest that Affordable Housing should be re-named ‘Key Worker Housing’ recognising that it is housing that will be taken up by Teachers, Nurses, Police etc.
In his response, Mayor Ruddock referred to “Welfare Housing”, a term which is both outdated and from responses in this Meeting’s Chat, offensive.
Mr. Ruddock’s assertion that Affordable Housing projects would be hard to justify in a Council that is cash-strapped shows little comprehension of how affordable housing projects have developed in other LGAs.
Where there is a Will to establish a workable Affordable Housing Plan, there are a range of sources: Commonwealth, State grants, under-utilised land; Bequests from the public; Community Housing providers’ assets etc.
Without a Will there would be no joy for the the person who asked in the Chat:
“Would the council waive fees, levies and charges on an Affordable Housing project?”
And without the Will of our Council and our Community, the door will continue to be closed for many seeking to make Hornsby their home.
The local Sydney Alliance Committee will be hosting a Forum with Hornsby Council candidates for the December 4th Election on Thursday, November 18th.
