Housing planning should deliver homes for a fairer Sydney
MEDIA RELEASE 29th November 2023
Sydney Alliance calls on the Minns Government to deliver 15-20% affordable housing in perpetuity, in the planned transport-oriented developments.
The Alliance is demanding no less than 1 in 6 homes committed to affordable housing if the government is to adequately address the housing supply crisis.
The Alliance is also calling on the Minns Government to listen to the voices of low to middle income earners in Sydney who are looking to them to lead planning reform for the most vulnerable in the community, and to resist the lobbying pressure of those seeking to dilute the positive outcomes from these developments.
Sydney Alliance partners including Shelter NSW, the Tenants’ Union of NSW, Faith Housing Alliance, United Workers Union, and Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Justice and Peace office have released a joint statement.
Sydney Alliance has been calling on both sides of politics in NSW for over 10 years to mandate a minimum percentage of housing developments be set aside for affordable rental housing, in perpetuity.
- 15%-20% on up zoned land on private land for lower-income-affordable rental housing.
- Minimum of 30% for those on government owned land.
Sydney Alliance says that the issue of homes being affordable in perpetuity is critical; the community will not accept affordable homes returned to developers to be sold at market rates after 10-15 years.
CEO of Shelter NSW, John Engeler, says it is vital that the next wave of Sydney’s housing growth around stations is accompanied by commitments to boost social and affordable housing and improve access to jobs and amenities.
“The people of Greater Sydney are demanding a better deal out of density. We can break the cycle of density proposals leading to a community backlash with a solid government plan to ensure the general community gets a better deal out of increased density.
The right to develop bigger and taller buildings around publicly-funded transport nodes needs to be matched by the requirement to deliver something significant back to the community. That something needs to be truly affordable housing for low-middle income people, great public spaces and buildings that people can be proud of”, Mr Engeler said.
United Workers Union Director, Mel Gatfield, said the Government needs to prioritise affordable housing and take action before the housing crisis worsened.
“UWU members across the board are reporting housing stress either through mounting interest rate increases, or through an inability to secure an affordable and suitable rental in the current market,” Ms Gatfield said.
“Heaps of workers in the industries we represent are being paid the bare minimums set out in the Award which amounts to around $900-a-week, meanwhile the average rental in Sydney is $711-per-week.
“If we don’t change the policy settings and change them quickly, we’re essentially telling workers in cleaning, in hospo, in early childhood education, in factories and distribution centres that having a house is a luxury, not a right.”
Justice and Peace Promoter for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Fr Peter Smith, said “Never in living memory has Sydney housing been more unaffordable than it is now.”
“A roof over one’s head is out of reach for a growing number of individuals and families, for whom the market has no answer. The Government needs to intervene to require a substantial number of these new dwellings to be set aside for social and affordable housing.”
CEO of the Tenants’ Union of NSW, Leo Patterson Ross, said, “Sydney is in an enduring rental crisis with many people struggling to keep themselves and their family in safe, healthy and affordable housing. Transformational projects like new transport hubs offer big opportunities for more homes and a more diverse range and price of housing but we know these developments won't deliver unless government asks for it. This is just one part of the housing puzzle, we especially need to ensure public and community housing is also being built, but we can't miss any opportunity to ensure our city works for everyone."
CEO of Faith Housing Alliance, Rose Thomson, said the community expects a Labor government to prioritise social and affordable housing for low-income households including key workers.
“Housing and homelessness services are telling us that families are cracking under the strain of extremely unaffordable rents. Increased densities around transport hubs must deliver social and affordable rental housing at scale for people who are otherwise locked out of well-located housing.”
For media enquiries please contact:
Cathy Callaghan, Senior Policy Officer, Shelter NSW
Mobile 0407 067 587
