BUILDING LOW INCOME WORKER HOUSING

Affordable housing is accommodation for people on low to moderate incomes, including "key workers" such as teachers, police officers, nurses, cleaners, and service, retail and hospitality workers.

Failure to ensure an adequate level of affordable housing would lock essential low income workers out of the City as housing prices and rents become increasingly unaffordable.

Set up in 1994 to prevent the local working population from being displaced by redevelopment, City West has a reputation for building and managing quality affordable rental housing. It has built 450 units for low and moderate income earners with a historical link to the area.

City West receives an affordable housing levy collected from all development in Ultimo and Pyrmont, and currently has to spend the funds in the same area. As there are no more suitable local sites, the state and local planning framework need to change if City West is to expand.

The success of the City West Housing Company is an excellent example of what can be achieved through an affordable housing levy. Council has resolved to continue working with the Minister for Planning to include an affordable housing levy across the whole of the City.

Information

* Council report:

www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Council/MeetingsAndCommittees/2009/Committees/030809/planning.asp