The
original motion was moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Ellsmore.
It is resolved that:
(A) Council note:
(i)
the
Government’s National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF) is a $1 billion
facility that provides finance for eligible infrastructure projects that will
unlock new housing supply, particularly affordable housing;
(ii)
the
Government announcement that $575 million of the National Housing Infrastructure
Facility will be available for funding one million affordable homes;
(iii)
the
National Housing Infrastructure Facility is a $1 billion facility that provides
finance (concessional interest rates, and/or longer loan tenure) for eligible
infrastructure projects that will unlock new housing supply, particularly
affordable housing;
(iv)
the City takes a multi-pronged approach to supporting the
delivery of affordable housing in the local area, as well as in the wider
metropolitan area, including:
(a)
using
its planning controls, including affordable housing levies, for the delivery of
affordable housing;
(b)
selling
its land to community housing providers;
(c)
providing
grants for the delivery of affordable and diverse housing; and
(d)
collaborating
with other councils and the state government to encourage more affordable
housing across metropolitan Sydney;
(v)
the
City currently has an Affordable and Diverse Housing Fund aimed at promoting a
wide range of affordable and diverse rental housing development in our area;
(vi)
as at July 2021, there were 1,328 built affordable housing
units in the local area, 386 dwellings in the development pipeline and a
further 532 that are expected to be built in the future (but not yet in the
development pipeline). Noting the dwellings quoted below may be counted under
more than one category, there are:
(a)
994
dwellings (built, pipeline and expected) that come from the City’s affordable
housing contribution schemes;
(b)
454
dwellings (built, pipeline and expected) that have been assisted by subsidised
land sales from the City to community housing
providers;
(c)
439
dwellings (built, pipeline and expected) that have been assisted by the City’s
Affordable and Diverse Housing Fund; and
(d)
a
further 359 dwellings (built, pipeline and expected) that have not been
assisted by any of the above;
(vii)
City
staff performed an audit and sale of vacant land for community housing
providers, the last sale being 2016;
(viii)
in
March 2020, Council resolved to add an additional $10 million to the Affordable
and Diverse Housing Fund, with financial support to be provided via cash grants
or the discounted sale or lease of surplus City land;
(ix)
in
September 2022, the Lord Mayor and Chief Executive Officer travelled to
Canberra with the capital city Lord Mayors to advocate to the Commonwealth
Government for more affordable and social housing in inner-city areas; and
(x)
last
week, the Lord Mayor hosted the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of
Councils (SSROC) and Resilient Sydney Affordable Housing Mayoral Summit, where
mayors from across Sydney came together with community housing providers to
discuss partnership opportunities that will enable them to increase social and
affordable housing in their communities; and
(B) the Chief Executive Officer be requested to
update Council via CEO Update on:
(i)
the
outcomes of the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) and
Resilient Sydney Affordable Housing Mayoral Summit; and
(ii)
future
opportunities for the City of Sydney to invest in social and affordable housing
via the Affordable and Diverse Housing Fund in consultation with the Housing For All Working Group.
The amended
motion was carried unanimously.
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