Homes NSW Consultation

On 20 July The Housing Minister held a consultation with invited organisations to get feedback on principles for the formation of Homes NSW. Further consultations are proposed. REDWatch is making available some of the details of the July consultation to encourage tenants, those on the waiting list and services to consider what they might want to say to the Minister about what should be stopped, what should be started and what should be continued. Below is what was supplied to participants at the 20 July Consultation.

Homes NSW Consultation Forum 20 July 2023

The NSW Government is committed to making NSW a place where everyone has access to safe and secure housing, and where experiences of homelessness are rare, brief and not repeated.

To help achieve this we are creating Homes NSW. This involves bringing together the Land and Housing Corporation, Aboriginal Housing Office, and Department of Communities and Justice relevant social and affordable housing and homelessness functions to create a new agency.

The primary purpose of Homes NSW is to deliver better outcomes for public housing tenants, deliver more affordable and social housing, and reduce the number of homeless people in NSW.

There is a range of options to be considered for the creation of Homes NSW and detailed design work is currently underway.

At present there are some draft key principles in establishing Homes NSW:

Leadership across government in the provision of social and affordable housing
A sustainable budget model that delivers an increasing number of well-maintained social and affordable homes in places that people need to live and reduces homelessness
Ensuring a customer focus whereby tenancy services, including maintenance, support, allocations and transfers are straightforward and effective to improve outcomes for tenants and the tenant experience
Collaboration is key and Homes NSW must be able to work effectively with all relevant Government and non-Government stakeholders
A commitment to design excellence and sustainability in the provision of social and affordable housing
Retaining a strong link between homelessness and other service delivery for vulnerable cohorts, especially domestic and family violence, out of home care, child protection, youth justice, corrections and disability.

We are keen for feedback on these draft principles.

In addition, we would like your feedback on what Homes NSW may be responsible for. Options include:

Social and affordable housing and homelessness policy development
Delivering public housing including asset management, tenancy management and property maintenance
Community housing regulation
Homelessness services provision

The NSW Government will continue to work with all our stakeholders including people who live in public housing—the voices of tenants and the voices of people on the waiting list, our peak bodies, community housing providers, the homelessness sector and many more, as we set up Homes NSW.

We look forward to welcoming you to the upcoming consultation forum and we look forward to your feedback. Homes NSW is an important part of the Government's housing response and we are determined to make it a success.

Invited Organisations

Aboriginal Community Housing Industry Association NSW
Aboriginal Housing Office
Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT)
Aboriginal Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service
Ageing on the Edge
Australian Services Union
Bridge Housing
City West Housing
Coast Shelter
Community Housing Industry Association NSW
Department of Communities and Justice
Domestic Violence NSW
Homelessness NSW
Incoming NSW Rental Commissioner
Land and Housing Corporation
Linking Communities Network
Local Government NSW
National Coalition of Regional Alliances
NSW Aboriginal Land Council
NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations
Shelter NSW
StreetCare
Tenants’ Union of NSW
People with Disability Australia
Property Council of Australia
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
Public Service Association of NSW
Women and Girls Emergency Centre
Yfoundations

Source: Information supplied to attendees

Strong foundations being laid for Homes NSW

Media Statement from Minister of Housing 20 Jul 2023

Peak housing and homelessness bodies, advocacy groups, service providers, unions and social housing tenants have joined forces to collaborate on significant reform to the housing sector as the Minns Labor Government works to get more people into homes.

The Homes NSW Consultation Forum kicks off a transformation which will rebuild the social and affordable housing system in NSW as well reducing homelessness with a true housing first approach. This framework prioritises safe and secure housing to create better outcomes for vulnerable people.

The creation of the new agency, Homes NSW, brings together the Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC), the Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) and the Department of Communities Justice (DCJ) housing and homelessness functions to put services under one roof with people at the centre.

As part of the reform, the NSW Government is consulting with key stakeholders in a genuine partnership to improve the current system.

Participants attending the Homes NSW Consultation Forum include tenants, representatives from Community Housing Providers, Specialist Homelessness Services, Shelter NSW, Homelessness NSW, Tenants Union NSW, Unions and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.

People with a lived experience of homelessness and of social and affordable housing are also playing a significant part in the consultation process with their views helping to shape improvements to the system.

Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

“Homes NSW must be much more than just changing email addresses and new business cards. This is about rebuilding and restructuring the social and affordable housing system in this state.

“The NSW Government is taking the housing crisis seriously and we want Homes NSW to be a massive success. Part of that success is listening to the community and taking their feedback on board.

“Today we heard from tenants, peak organisations and other stakeholders who all said we need to put people back at the heart of our social housing system – we will listen to them and we will work with them to make sure that happens.

“We are delivering on our election commitment to establish Homes NSW. This is a significant opportunity to create a seamless approach to housing with the focus on people front and centre.

“Homes NSW is part of a range of initiatives to address the housing crisis and help to reduce homelessness in NSW. Getting it right is an important first step.”

Media Release Source: https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/strong-foundations-being-laid-for-homes-nsw

Media releases made by the Minister for Housing Rose Jackson can be seen at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases?ministers=Minister%2520for%2520Housing

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