[Greens-Media] (Hale MLC) New Affordable Housing Plan: All Carrot, No Stick For Developers

[Christopher Holley]

New Affordable Housing Plan:  All Carrot, No Stick For Developers
 
The Government’s newly-gazetted State Environment Planning Policy
(Affordable Rental Housing) 2009 does not go far enough to ensure that
enough affordable housing is built into new developments, according to
Sylvia Hale MLC, NSW Greens spokesperson on housing.

“The new rules further reduce the power of local government,  by
making the major mechanism for delivering affordable housing an
incentive for developers, in the form of density bonuses," Ms Hale
said.
 
“This new planning policy does not empower local governments to
require that affordable housing must be included in new developments. No
mandatory targets can be set."
 
“Guaranteeing developers denser and higher developments as the price
for desperately-needed  affordable housing, could lead to more community
conflict if height limits are exceeded. It’s an unfair trade-off.
 
“These new provisions are a cosy deal between the developer lobby and
State Government to make sure there’s no mandatory affordable housing
requirement. I understand that the Property Council has welcomed the
package - presumably because it reflects the views of the Property
Council so accurately. This is all about incentives for developers, with
no responsibility. It’s all carrot and no stick.”
 
“The developer or owner will probably retain title to the affordable
housing, and after 10 years, when the caveat expires, the affordable
housing will be lost when it goes to market. So it’s a stop-gap
solution, when we need to retain key workers in the city in the long
term.
 
“The Greens believe that title should be held in perpetuity by
Housing NSW or a non-profit community housing organisation.
 
“The Greens are concerned that these new provisions may endanger
existing local government affordable housing schemes by preventing any
new agreements which do not involve the prescribed developer
incentives.
 
“There are some good aspects to the new SEPP, such as provisions that
new affordable housing must be near a train station or bus stop and
boarding house standards. There’s allowances for second dwellings to
be built on blocks larger than 450 square metres. There’s sensible car
parking space requirements for residential buildings and boarding houses
so that actual living spaces are maximised.
 
“Apart from these few positive aspects, after 10 years of waiting for
 a new affordable housing SEPP,  this is a disappointing result,”
concluded Ms Hale.
 
 Contact: Chris Holley on 02 9230 3030 or 0437 779 546