Social and Affordable Housing Fund projects show path forward

Monday 10 March 2017

The NSW Council of Social Service welcomes today’s announcement of the successful projects to be delivered under the first phase of the Social and Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF).

NCOSS President Tony Davies said the projects showed the SAHF was an important tool encouraging new strategies to boost social and affordable housing across the state.

“We will see 2200 social and affordable houses delivered as a part of this first phase of the Social and Affordable Housing Fund and this should just be the beginning.

“With 60,000 households currently on the social housing waiting list in NSW and households increasingly experiencing rental stress we need to be encouraging all the new thinking we can to boost social and affordable housing in NSW.”

Mr Davies said he now hoped a second phase of the SAHF could get underway soon to fund at least 5000 additional units of social and affordable housing in NSW along with support services that build a truly holistic approach.

“The possibilities for combining boosts in housing stock with wrap around services are huge.

“Future iterations of the SAHF should be looking to deliver targeted housing options that will meet the needs of particular groups experiencing disadvantage such Aboriginal people, older women, young people, women and children experiencing domestic and family violence and people in rural, regional and remote areas.

“And with the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme underway we are also keen for the SAHF to boost supply of housing that works for people with disability as the private market is not well placed to respond — even with financial assistance. “