A resilient Sydney depends on a robust affordable housing market that delivers housing security for everyone, irrespective of their stage in life and their circumstances.  And yet we find ourselves in the midst of a housing crisis. 

Home ownership rates are falling sharply.  Housing stress is increasing for both mortgagees and tenants. Key workers on middle incomes are increasingly locked out of secure housing within a reasonable commute of their jobs. 

And sadly, we continue to fail our most vulnerable – low- and fixed-income households in need of secure, subsidised shelter. Too many people don’t have a safe place to call home and a growing number are living in unsuitable conditions. 

The need for action is urgent.

The recent Domain Rent Report for the September 2022 quarter showed record high rents nationally, and in Sydney, rents for houses increased by $30 per week and for units by $25 per week this quarter. At the same time, record-low vacancy rates have fallen to 1.1 per cent.

Housing security must continue to be considered a right, not a privilege. And social and affordable housing funding and policies must ensure a home can be both a safety net and a springboard to opportunity. 

As reporter Louise Milligan noted in a recent Four Corners story, ‘No Place to Call Home’: “Having a job in Australia is no longer a guarantee you’ll have a house.”

These are complex issues to tackle. But they can’t be ignored and thankfully, there is hope. 

Expediting zoning, planning and land releases in well-located areas, including well-located state and local government land, will be vital to delivering on a joint commitment by all levels of government to work together to improve the availability of social and affordable housing.

The Albanese Government’s Budget handed down on Tuesday night provides cause for optimism because it promised to do just that, through a national Housing Accord.

This commitment to partnering across all levels of government, as well as the private sector, institutional investors, community housing providers and industry, has the potential to instil the confidence needed to finally shift the way social and affordable housing is funded and managed.

Community Housing Providers (CHPs) are the lynchpin in bringing together the public and private sector to put more keys in doors for more Australians. With proven expertise in bringing together large-scale private investment and delivery capability that complements government policy and funding, SGCH – like other ‘for purpose’ CHPs – are stewards of long-term community benefits. We are highly regulated and trusted by the communities we serve. 

We stand ready to continue to play our part to deliver better affordable housing outcomes for more people. After all, the scale of the housing crisis is a burden large enough to be shared. 

Federal Budget Response

SGCH Applauds Leadership on Housing

Speaking about Federal Budget 2022, Scott Langford, Group CEO of SGCH, NSW’s largest community housing provider, welcomed Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ budget with home at the heart. 

“The Albanese Government is to be applauded for grasping the nettle and providing national leadership on housing. Too often judged too difficult and with dispersed accountability, housing policy and funding has long failed to deliver better housing outcomes for all Australians. The Government has taken up the task and the Housing Accord announced in the budget provides a foundation stone on which to build a better housing system.” 

Read the full media release.