In May 2024, the Legislative Assembly Select Committee on Essential Worker Housing was established to inquire into and report on the options for essential worker housing in New South Wales. This inquiry sought to define essential worker housing and detail the options available to increase targeted housing supply. Last year, the Committee received submissions from various stakeholders, including Shelter NSW. 

John Engeler, Shelter NSW CEO, addresses the Committee at a formal hearing on 7 February 2025. 

On 13 June, the Committee delivered their final report, Options for essential worker housing in New South Wales. Delivering eight findings and 20 recommendations, the Committee found that essential workers require diverse housing products to fit different needs, the term “essential worker’ needs to be defined locally depending on community need, the current policy setting does not adequately account for the housing needs of essential workers and that private sector investment is required to produce affordable essential worker housing at scale. Broadly, the Committee recommended that coordinated leadership for essential working housing is established, a framework for essential worker housing is established, essential workers are incorporated into existing housing policies as a target cohort, supply of well-located housing options is increased and that innovative housing solutions are pursued.  

Shelter acknowledges the important work of the Committee and encourages the NSW Government to respond with decisive action to deliver better housing outcomes for NSW’s essential workforce. It is critical, however, that provisions for essential workers complement existing policies prioritising access to social housing to people who need it the most, and do not come at the expense of people living on lower incomes.