Decision details

By Councillor Weldon

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         boarding houses provide much needed affordable accommodation for people on lower incomes, particularly singles, retirees, students and young couples;

(ii)        a proposed ‘Change of use’ to a boarding house in New South Wales requires Council development consent with consideration of the condition of the property, social and economic impacts on the community, cumulative loss of housing, financial viability of the boarding house and a possible monetary contribution payment to mitigate reduction in affordable housing;

(iii)      these planning provisions are set in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 and the associated Retention of Existing Affordable Rental Housing (Guidelines); and

(iv)      over the last ten years, there have been 48 applications for ‘Change of use’ to boarding houses in the City of Sydney. All 48 applications have been approved; and

(B)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         review the assessment of ‘Change of use’ applications to ensure that appropriate consideration is given to the social and economic impacts on the community and the cumulative loss of housing;

(ii)        investigate mechanisms to incentivise community housing provider acquisition and management of boarding houses; and

(iii)      provide a report to Council with options and/or recommendations to retain boarding houses in the City of Sydney.

Note – at the meeting of Council, the content of the original Notice of Motion was varied by Councillor Weldon. Subsequently it was –

Moved by Councillor Weldon, seconded by Councillor Ellsmore –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         boarding houses provide much needed affordable accommodation for people on lower incomes, particularly singles, retirees, students and young couples;

(ii)        a proposed ‘Change of use’ to a boarding house in New South Wales requires Council development consent with consideration of the condition of the property, social and economic impacts on the community, cumulative loss of housing, financial viability of the boarding house and a possible monetary contribution payment to mitigate reduction in affordable housing;

(iii)      these planning provisions are set in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 (Housing SEPP) and the associated Retention of Existing Affordable Rental Housing (Guidelines);

(iv)      over the last ten years, there have been 48 applications for ‘Change of use’ to boarding houses in the City of Sydney. All 48 applications have been approved, 35 of which were Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) applications on Crown Land where the Housing SEPP and guidelines don’t apply;

(v)       although housing is principally the responsibility of the State Government, the City is committed to tackling housing affordability any way it can, through levies, amended planning controls, discounted property sales, and an Affordable and Diverse Housing Fund; and

(vi)      as at June 2022, the City has 1,427 built affordable housing units in the local area, 631 dwellings in the development pipeline and a further 701 that are expected to be built in the future; and

(B)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to update Councillors via a CEO update:

(i)         on how the City considers the social and economic impacts on the community and the cumulative loss of housing when assessing change of use applications that result in a loss of affordable housing;

(ii)        on how the City incentivises community housing providers to acquire or  manage affordable housing (including boarding houses); and

(iii)      on present options and/or recommendations on what the City can do to retain boarding houses in the City of Sydney.

Carried unanimously.

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