The City of Sydney has joined forces with 13 organisations to call on the Minns Government to immediately overhaul state legislation to address the housing crisis for renters.
"Many of those living in rental accommodation are in dire straits and action is urgently needed to fix this ongoing problem - housing supply alone will not make housing affordable," Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.
"In our local area alone, 20,000 households are spending more than 30% of their income on rent, placing them in housing stress.
"The lack of affordable housing is also contributing to an increase in the number of people sleeping rough across Sydney.
"Even renters who consistently pay their rent are offered little security that they will still have a home at the end of their lease, with the reforms on no fault evictions inadequate. Renters make up around one-third of all households across NSW and 60% of households in the City of Sydney's area.
"They need greater protections and more rights. We are just asking for the basics: rental properties that are properly maintained, a limit to excessive rental hikes and for the government to do more than pay lip service to ending no fault evictions," the Lord Mayor said.
"Affordable housing needs to be genuinely affordable, with income-based rents, not rents based on the small reduction of the escalating market rate. And that housing needs to remain affordable forever, not just for 15 years.
"Boarding houses and diverse accommodation, can be a last resort for many renters, yet also a great source of support and community – these forms of housing also need greater protections."
The City of Sydney's call comes following a round table with more than 40 representatives from housing providers, community and peak organisations, NSW Government agencies, renters and members of the City of Sydney's Housing for All Advisory Panel. The message was clear: everyone must do more, and collaboration is key.
"Well-maintained, secure, and affordable housing benefits everyone. Redfern Legal Centre assists hundreds of renters every year facing unfair eviction, lack of proper repairs and excessive rental hikes. We call on the NSW Government to provide greater affordable housing and better protections, rights and security of tenure for renters and boarding house residents," said Redfern Legal Centre CEO, Camilla Pandolfini.
Kate Timmins, CEO, B Miles Women's Foundation said the current situation was pushing people into homelessness.
"As a frontline homelessness service provider, we see every day how lack of access to affordable rental properties is pushing people into crisis and homelessness. Too many people are forced to navigate a rental system that leaves them vulnerable to unpredictable rent increases and unfair evictions, and as a result we are seeing a surge of people being pushed into the homelessness sector," said Ms Timmins.
NSW Tenants' Union CEO, Leo Patterson Ross said enacting these proposals could be life-changing.
"Ensuring renting in the city and across the state is fair, affordable and dignified is one of the most effective and fast-acting housing reform projects the state government can undertake. These proposals will make a difference to the more than 2 million people renting in NSW, and be life-changing for some households facing the toughest housing situations."
The group identified several key areas that needed to be addressed. The City of Sydney, along with 13 community housing organisations and peak bodies, are calling for the following changes:
Rental properties
• Improve autonomy, rights and protections for renters, particularly around unfair evictions, rent increases, and repairs and maintenance.
• Create the conditions for a fair and secure long-term rental market.
• Commit to consulting meaningfully on future rental reforms.
Affordable housing
• Ensure local government affordable housing schemes apply in any state significant developments to ensure affordable housing mandates are neither lost nor sidestepped.
• Enable a pathway for time-limited affordable housing to be created in perpetuity.
• Mandate the use of income-based rent for affordable housing rather than a discounted market rate.
Boarding houses and diverse housing
• Urgently review the Housing State Environmental Planning Policy to review the outdated viability test and contribution payable to effectively protect low-cost housing such as boarding houses
• Make changes to the Boarding Houses Act that improve security of tenure and living standards for renters and boarding house residents.
Supported housing
• Fund more supported housing, such as the Common Ground model that supports people experiencing long-term homelessness as well as workers on low to moderate incomes and consider 'a women's only project'.
The Lord Mayor has written to Premier Chris Minns to request the changes on behalf of the City of Sydney and the following signatories:
• B Miles Women's Foundation
• Bridge Housing
• Common Equity
• Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA)
• Counterpoint Community Services
• Newtown Mission - Uniting Church
• Redfern Legal Centre
• Shelter NSW
• Stucco Co-operative Ltd
• Tenants' Union of NSW
• Wesley Mission
• Women's Housing Company
• Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care
• Tara Somerville, Member, Housing for All Advisory Panel
The Lord Mayor tabled the report on the round table at Council on Monday night. The report and a copy of the letter
