While housing is the responsibility of the State Government, the City uses all levers at its disposal to deliver more Affordable Housing.
The City levies private developers, amends planning controls, sells land at a discount and provides grants to not-for-profit providers to boost more diverse and affordable housing.
This increases Affordable Housing in perpetuity and protected from sell-offs by future Councils.
The City has contributed to 3,323 Affordable Housing dwellings in our area either built or anticipated in the future.
Read more about the City's policies and work to deliver more housing here.
Affordable and diverse housing is a key focus of the City’s long-term vision for a city for all.
The City has collected oveer $399 million in levies from market housing developers, which has been passed on to community housing providers to deliver 1,429 homes, including at:
- 68-80 Mary Ann Street and 346-348 Bulwarra Road, Ultimo/Pyrmont
- 7 Carriageworks Way, Eveleigh
- 3 Grandstand Parade, Zetland
- 1-5 Wentworth Street, Glebe
- 20 Victoria Street, Glebe
In 2021, after years of lobbying, the state government has finally approved an expansion of the levy, to include all of the city area, which is now expected to deliver a further 1,950 affordable homes.
We sell City land at a discounted rate to make affordable housing projects viable. This is providing over 300 homes, including:
- 75 dwellings in Ross Street, Forest Lodge through a $1.8 million subsidy of Harold Park land.
- 104 dwellings on Portman Street, Zetland via a $2.18 million subsidy of former South Sydney Hospital land.
- 122 affordable housing dwellings and 40 social housing dwellings at 11 Gibbons Street, Redfern through a $10.3 million subsidy of the former Council depot.
- Seven properties provided at a significant discount to Common Equity New South Wales and All Nations Housing Co-operative to provide homes for trans women.
- Ten units in a youth foyer in Surry Hills for young people at risk of homelessness though a free 50 year lease valued at $5 million to the Property Industry Foundation.
The City has negotiated Voluntary Planning Agreements and introduced planning controls that permit affordable rental housing on certain land where other residential development is not permitted, keeping land values low for community housing providers.
This has provided 672 affordable dwellings, including:
- 381 dwellings at 330-338 Botany Road, Alexandria.
- 52 supported accommodation dwellings built to provide services and support to people who had been homeless - the Common Ground project.
In 2015, we established the Affordable and Diverse Housing Fund to help leverage private finance for affordable rental housing. This is providing nearly 500 homes, including:
- 42 aged care units built for older people at risk of homelessness at HammondCare Darlinghurst, a City investment of $1.5 million.
- 53 rooms for young people at risk of homelessness and 20 rooms for key workers in Chippendale by St George Community Housing, a City investment of $3 million.
- Refurbishment of 44 units at the Wesley Eagar Lodge in Surry Hills, a City investment of $1 million.
- 250 dwellings planned for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student housing at UTS in Ultimo, a City investment of $1 million.
- 56 affordable rental houses for women aged over 55 at risk of homelessness and for key workers at Wesley Mission in Glebe, a City investment of $3 million.
- $345,000 to St George Community Housing to employ staff to increase opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons to access affordable housing.
