Labor's plan to fight homelessness and tackle housing affordability

It is increasingly difficult for working people to afford to live in the City of Sydney. The recent Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey rated Sydney the third most unaffordable City in the world.

Unlike the current Lord Mayor, who as recently as last month stated that “Housing is the responsibility of the NSW Government”, City of Sydney Labor believes the responsibility for the supply and access to affordable housing lies with all three levels of government, including the City of Sydney Council.

As a Council that delivered a $195m net surplus for the previous financial year, Sydney Labor is committed to expanding the use of City resources to lead the challenging process of reducing those experiencing homelessness and delivering more affordable housing where state and federal governments have failed.

Linda Scott and Labor are committed to:

  • Free rates for City of Sydney pensioners; 

  • Funding City support staff to assist those experiencing homelessness;

  • Conducting the City’s bi-annual Rough Sleepers Street Count, and setting targets to reduce rough sleeping by re-homing people; 

  • Supporting the creation of at least one further suite of homes to support City residents currently sleeping rough into safe and affordable housing, such as a new Common Ground dwelling (with one Common Ground set of homes delivered in Camperdown by Tanya Plibersek MP under the Rudd Government);

  • Invest an additional $10 million into the City’s Diverse and Affordable Housing Fund, and limit its use to the creation of new affordable housing;

  • Explore the use of vacant City-owned properties for use for affordable housing;

  • Fighting to ensure the continued use of Voluntary Planning Agreements and collection of developer contributions to deliver new affordable housing, and expanding affordable housing contributions schemes to cover the entire City of Sydney local government area;

  • Continuing to strongly advocate for the rights of social housing tenants, and fight the sell-off of public housing in the City of Sydney; 

  • Fund public housing tenant access to community legal and other support to ensure they have independent advice and support when the State Government is forcibly moving tenants;

  • Ensure the delivery of social and affordable rental housing includes appropriate wrap-around services to support vulnerable people in social housing, such as a Redfern-Waterloo Human Services Plan;

  • Collaborate with the NSW and Commonwealth Governments, and the Community Housing Providers (CHPs) to incentivise and provide a greater supply of quality social and affordable housing;

  • Fight for the right of the City of Sydney to take back planning controls on short term letting arrangements from the State Government, including limits on days of use.

Linda Scott