Over the past month, Shelter NSW has been assisting Local Organising Teams from across the city as part of our work with the Sydney Alliance. Each of these teams sought commitments from Local Council Candidates for Affordable Housing and better transparency before the recent elections, and most were highly successful! 

The Local Organising campaign saw 9 different teams gather across Sydney to take action for their community. The teams represented the communities of Hornsby, Kuring’gai, Sutherland, Campbelltown, Parramatta, Inner West, Cumberland, Blacktown, Northern Beaches and Lake Macquarie (supported by the Hunter Community Alliance).

There were mostly positive commitments across the board, with around 24 separate housing Asks put to over 30 Councillors and candidates, in front of a combined audience of over 600 community members! We will be working to interpret and analyse the results of these actions over the next few weeks, as the Council election results are finalised. 

We are proud to say though that regardless of the election outcome, we have seen dozens of new, strong, diverse local leaders step up to take action for their community and strengthen the Sydney Alliance. This is a huge win for the Alliance, and for democracy in NSW, as these teams will continue to play a key role in future campaigns and elections. 

If you are interested in hearing more about this local organising work and the Sydney Alliance, or would like to get involved, please contact our Membership & Engagement Officer James at james@shelternsw.org.au