The State Budget has finally been handed down and the government is blowing its own trumpet in regards to the $800m spend on social housing, which includes $200m on well-overdue maintenance. As an advocate for social and affordable housing, am I celebrating? No, I’m sorry – instead I remain frustrated at the lack of ongoing serious investment in the sector. Why?

• First, for the size and population of NSW, $800m is actually quite a small amount. Add this to decades of under-investment (often worse than this year) and this budget is a steady as she goes, let’s do a little more than the bare minimum required budget. Good for some self-generated spin, but I’m sorry no applause from me.
• Second, with 130,000 properties on their books with an average age of property now over 50 years, what does $200m buy in terms of maintenance? That’s around $1,500 per unit of housing and once again that does not buy very much.
• Third, a lot in this announcement appears to have been announced already for the last three or four years. Social housing re-developments through Communities Plus have been promised for a long time and little achieved apart from the commenced re-build at Macquarie Park and now in the South-West. There’s nothing like re-re-re-announcement of funds already promised, triple bang for your buck.
• And last but not least: although the Treasurer mentioned affordable housing in his speech, there is little or nothing that will stimulate any investment in affordable housing from this budget.

Sorry to rain on the parade, but my minute is just about up. We have lost out on a great opportunity both nationally and now state-wide, to deliver significant economic and employment boosts by providing exactly what is needed in this country – safe, secure and affordable housing. Small steps in the right direction but nothing transformative.

Thanks for being part of our network. From all of us here at Churches Housing we wish you all a restful, safe and enjoyable Christmas.

Magnus and the CHI staff team (Pip, Rob and Kathy)

Sydney-based consultancy Urban Bio is working with Churches Housing to identify as many church sites as possible that could be used for social and affordable rental housing.

As part of this project, Urban Bio senior consultant Steve Bushby spoke at CHi’s annual general meeting last month.

Bushby said that a large challenge for future re-use is the ‘narrow range of usage allowed for places of worship’.

Broadening this understanding ‘is a journey we have to take governments – of all levels – on’, he told the meeting.

Another challenge in mapping accurately, Bushby said, is that some denominations do not have centralised land-holdings registers. This means that buildings such as schools, manses, halls or child care may not be labelled as ‘place of worship’ and so will not be counted as church land.

The site-mapping process includes:

• painting a picture of faith-based land holdings across NSW using digital planning tools
• mapping places of worship, matching this map layer to additional property specific datasets
• understanding land parcel size and zoning to gauge potential alternative uses of a site
• identifying potential heritage restrictions on a site by site basis
• measuring proximity metrics, distance to train stations, bus stops, super markets etc.
• assessing community demographics to gauge suitability for affordable housing, age care or childcare
• gauging proximity to childcare or age care facilities

Churches Housing and BaptistCare are working with Macquarie University in research on the experience of living in multicultural high-rise, mixed-tenure and high-density urban environments.

The Vertical Villages researchers are inviting residents to talk about their experiences – the deadline is Thursday, 10 December 2020.

A key part of the research is the role of faith-based organisations in helping place-making and community development in these neighbourhoods to improve people’s sense of community and connection.

Do you know people who live in an apartment building of 4 storeys or more in the suburbs of Macquarie Park, Epping, Parramatta, Chatswood or Bankstown? If yes, then the researchers want to hear about experiences of high-rise living and learn what more can be done to support a greater sense of community in high-rise apartments.

Chief investigators are: Dr Miriam Williams, Dr Emma Mitchell, Associate Professor Kristian Ruming and Professor Amanda Wise. Research assistants are Kate Cavanaugh and Isaac Harrison

Interviews will run for about one hour over Zoom, Skype, or phone at a convenient time. Participants receive a $50 e-gift card as a thank you for time and contribution.

Register by emailing Dr Emma Mitchell at emma.mitchell@mq.edu.au or phone 9850 2153.

Contact Dr Miriam Williams to find out more about the interview.

You can click here to participate in the online questionnaire and go into a prize draw to win one of 10 $100 gift cards.

This project is co-funded by Macquarie University, Baptist Care and Churches Housing (on behalf of Together for Ryde).

The project’s participant summary, online toolkit and final report are due in March next year.

Anglicare NSW South, NSW West & ACT (Anglicare) has been awarded $5.2 million by the Commonwealth Government as part of the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation program helping victims of domestic violence in regional NSW.

Anglicare CEO Jeremy Halcrow said: ‘This grant will help Anglicare enhance our current homelessness and housing supports in Goulburn and expand our service in Yass with the building of new emergency accommodation units.

‘Last year alone over 600 people were assisted through our service in Goulburn and around 200 in Yass. More families approach us each year for help.’

‘Our emergency accommodation units in Goulburn were first established in the 1970s and will be significantly renovated. Being able to offer such havens for people leaving traumatic environments will help them to heal and move forward with their lives,’ he said.

Anglicare will work with the rest of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn in developing church land to expand and enhance these services. The Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Mark Short, said: ‘We’re incredibly grateful to receive this funding as it will make a huge difference to vulnerable families in regional areas.  The well-being of women and children is central to our Diocesan mission and I look forward to Anglicare and local parishes sharing in this initiative.’ 

Minister for Families and Social Services and co-chair of Women’s Safety Ministers, Anne Ruston, said the grants will help women and children experiencing domestic violence to find a safe and secure place to stay. She said: ‘It is an important investment to create real and lasting change to reduce violence against women.’

Member for Hume, Angus Taylor, said he is keen to see the how the funds will be used in the local area. He said: ‘When women make the decision to leave it is vital that they have somewhere safe to go, particularly in regional areas like Goulburn. Anglicare will assist 156 women and children locally each year as a result of our investment.’

Anglicare’s regional manager for housing and social services, Toni Reay, says the funding is a relief for clients, as well as providers such as Anglicare who have been experiencing significantly increased need in recent times. ‘We’re so grateful for this support. Our teams work day in and day out with families experiencing significant levels of emotional and financial stress, so we know firsthand that this funding will meet a real need in the Goulburn and Yass communities.’

BaptistCare has just opened its newest housing development, BaptistCare Narralling Community, in Sydney’s south-west.

The 122-dwelling site in the suburb of Elderslie provides much-needed housing for seniors and single-parent families:

• 84 one-bedroom villas for seniors over 55 (over 45 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples), and
• 38 two-bedroom townhouses for single-parent families.

The housing includes both social and affordable housing options and is being delivered in partnership with the NSW Government Social and Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF) program. The dwellings are financed and developed on BaptistCare-owned land and BaptistCare will manage the portfolio over the next 25 years.

Seniors and families will begin to move in this month as tenants. The site has landscaped gardens, a BBQ area, community centre, vegetable garden, a playground for children, and carport parking for every dwelling.

Mike Furner, General Manager Housing and Retirement Living, said: “Our community housing is more than just a roof over heads; that’s incredibly important. But we’re also ensuring that seniors and single-parent families have access to an affordable and secure tenancy, with tailored support from our team if they need it, and delivered by an organisation that truly cares.”

The SAHF is a key component of the NSW Future Directions for Social Housing in NSW strategy that will result in more social and affordable housing dwellings linked to tailored support, to help households gain independence. For information, go to baptistcare.org.au/centre/narralling-community

For information, go to baptistcare.org.au/centre/narralling-community

Anglicare Sydney is bringing 70 dwellings online in regional NSW and Sydney by opening developments in Nowra, Corrimal and Botany.

In Nowra on southern coastal NSW, 24 one-bedroom units were completed last month. These are all fully self-contained, and there is an outdoor barbecue community space.

The Wollongong suburb of Corrimal will have 28 units in a mix of studio and one-bedroom. The fully self-contained units were completed last month.

This project includes a roof-top terrace, an indoor communal room, an outdoor barbecue area in landscaped gardens and one retail space.

In the southern Sydney suburb of Botany, 18 studios will be completed this month. The fully self-contained units will also have a roof-top communal space and one retail space.

CommBank’s Benefits Finder app now has a new category of benefit called ‘Affordable Housing NSW’ that links to WelcomeMat.

At first, this feature will be available to bank customers who live in Sydney Metro, Central Coast and Hunter regions.

WelcomeMat is also now featured on the Department of Communities & Justice (DCJ) site at https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/housing/help/ways/renting-affordable-housing

WelcomeMat co-founder and CEO, Mark Khoo, said the involvement of CommBank and DCJ was exciting. Speaking at Churches Housing’s annual general meeting last month, he said WelcomeMat had a number of benefits for renters and community housing providers because the platform:

• creates one central place to list and find affordable rental housing
• sorts eligible applications to send to CHPs
• helps with town planning
• provides a pathway from social housing
• builds an alternative to social housing’s waiting list
• refines applicants based on housing needs
• helps prevent homelessness

In response to a question at the meeting about what CHPs could do, Mark Khoo detailed a call to action:

1. list with WelcomeMat
2. promote the platform to internal and external clients
3. notify eligible applicants who are looking for housing
4. refer WelcomeMat to CHPs’ related services

Good Housing began when the families of people with autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy were exploring homes that had a friendly living environment, an exceptional standard of support and a platform for independence.

The founders understand the challenges in finding the right home and they decided to help in addressing the issue.

They focus on great locations close to activities, shops, transport, hospitals and jobs. 

Living arrangements are independent and shared-cluster at locations including Mount Colah, Cambridge Park, Hornsby and Kingswood.

The mission is to deliver 50 smart and healthy homes to house 200 people by 2023. https://www.goodhousing.com.au/

Landcom is seeking Requests for Proposals from Community Housing Providers (CHPs) to partner in delivering about 37 affordable dwellings for women over 55 at Lakeside Crescent in North Manly.

Known as the Queenscliff project, the project will re-purpose the former Queenscliff Community Health Centre. See https://www.landcom.com.au/assets/Places/Queenscliff/Queenscliff-fact-sheet.pdf

The deadline for response is 4pm (AEDT), Monday 14 December 2020.

Key investment highlights

1. Participation: the RFP process is open to registered CHPs only
2. Deferred land payment: to help CHPs with cashflow and financing, Landcom can defer land payment until the development is complete
3. Development management: for CHPs without the necessary development management skills, Landcom can be the project’s development manager
4. Flexible pricing: land price can be adjusted with approved development consent and market conditions to reduce risk and optimise commercially viability for CHPs
5. Planning: proposed adaptive re-use planning pathway will be pursuant to SEPPs and existing R2 zoning
6. DA consent: sale will be subject to satisfactory development consent, reducing CHPs’ planning risk

It is the ultimate dream for many of us to have a place to call home. This dream came true for Kelly when she received the life-changing news that a St Agnes Parish Community Housing property had been allocated to her.

Before getting the news of her successful application, Kelly lived with her mother, Colleen. Low NDIS funding proved to be a relentless challenge for the family and for Kelly being able to live the lifestyle of her choosing. On top of this burden was Colleen’s fear that if anything happened to her in the future, Kelly would not have the supports or skills in place to be able to live on her own.  
 

St Agnes Parish Community Housing provides a limited number of secure, long-term dwellings to those in need and links to specialist support from other community organisations, including disability NDIS. With little tenancy turnover, lengthy waiting list times are often the result.

Sue Blain, Manager of Community Housing, said: ‘It can be a long and hard process to get a property because even though we take enquiries each week, there are so many people wanting and needing housing and I have to prioritise the property to allocate. It’s about getting the tenant mix right and finding the right property where residents like Kelly will have informal supports and like-minded people around her.’

When Kelly is not volunteering with the Koala Hospital, Kendal Riding for the Disabled, out on a day trip or with her NDIS support worker, she is busy making her new property ‘home’. Kelly saved tirelessly to be able to furnish her new home and has recently finished her ‘backyard blitz’, creating her little piece of paradise.

Kelly is not shy about how this move has had a positive impact on her life. ‘It’s really good to have my own place and I love it very much. I think I have come along way. I’ve got courage because I am living by myself now, and before I was a bit nervous about moving out from home, now I got used to it, and I love being in my unit cause it’s so peaceful and so relaxing and I really enjoy it.’

NDIS support worker Meg has also seen a big difference in Kelly since her move. ‘Her confidence has grown, she is doing really well.’ Each week, Kelly and Meg plan a meal, shop for the ingredients together and then prepare the meal together in Kelly’s kitchen. Kelly said: ‘We go to the shop together, and Meg says to me you are doing a fantastic job, getting the items off the shopping list and putting them in the trolley.’

Kelly’s mother, Colleen, said: ‘My little girl moved out for the first time; it was such a proud moment. She has really grown, now she will pick up the phone, text and engage with people much more than she used to. The property allocation and the NDIS support have combined perfectly and helped Kelly meet wonderful new friends and experience new things that would not have been an option before.’