In a planning environment often dominated by calls for “red tape” reduction and supply-led approaches to affordability, the City of Sydney has taken a considered and forward-looking approach with its Housing for All discussion paper. The paper outlines both the opportunities and challenges facing City of Sydney not only in delivering more housing, but in delivering more non-market housing aimed at people priced out of the private rental market, or with other complex needs, while aiming to support a diverse population and maintain or enhance the liveability of its neighbourhoods.

Shelter NSW welcomes this strategic approach and commends the City of Sydney for its willingness to engage in long-term, blue-sky thinking to address the housing affordability crisis.

While Shelter NSW welcomed the City of Sydney’s ambitious vision and continued leadership on affordable housing, our submission argues that significant work remains to ensure the strategy delivers genuinely affordable homes for those most in need. In particular, we cautioned against the redevelopment or upzoning of government-owned land without firm commitments to retain sites in public ownership and substantially increase the supply of social and affordable housing, warning that renewal must not become an unwelcome pathway to privatisation or cause unnecessary displacement for existing communities.

Shelter NSW looks forward to working closely with the City of Sydney to support the development of a fairer and more diverse local government area. We also must make clear that achieving better housing outcomes for people living on lower incomes extends far beyond the role and powers of local government. Shelter NSW will continue to advocate at the state level for the policy reforms needed to deliver housing justice, including improvements to affordable housing rent setting, increased social housing supply, and stronger regulation of short-term rentals.

Read Shelter NSW’s full submission and recommendations here