5. Address the housing availability and affordability crisis

Access to secure, affordable housing is a basic human need and key to a healthy, prosperous and equitable society.

Conversely, a lack of affordable housing compounds intergenerational inequality and harms social cohesion. It further functions as a hand brake on economic recovery and productivity, impacting communities and businesses as key workers and other local workers are priced out of local housing markets.

LGNSW is calling on the NSW and Australian Governments to: 

  1. Lead coordinated and innovative action across all levels of government to re-house people in the medium and long term following floods.
  2. Invest $2.6 billion annually over the next 10 years to build 5,000 additional units of social housing each year, to drive economic recovery and address the homelessness and housing affordability crisis right across NSW.
  3. Investigate alternative social and affordable housing models and commit to deliver social and affordable housing targets.
  4. Take action to reduce housing disadvantage impacting Aboriginal people in NSW.
  5. Support a royal commission into housing affordability and the future of housing in Australia.
  6. Proactive strategies to combat natural disasters and climate risks. 

LGNSW is calling on the NSW Government to:

  1. Introduce stamp duty recycling to invest in new housing stock for essential workers and equalise the social housing stock.
  2. Respond to and implement the recommendations of the NSW Regional Housing Taskforce.
  3. Ensure that targets for housing growth specifically include targets for social and affordable housing.
  4. Consider legislative tools that will assist councils to manage the impact of short-term rental accommodation on local communities, without cost shifting regulatory responsibilities to councils.