The City of Sydney has approved a $3 million grant to build affordable housing for Aboriginal elders in Redfern.
Under the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council's proposal, an existing commercial building on George Street will be demolished and replaced with new residences. Early estimates suggest between 6 to 10 new homes will be built.
The project will prioritise housing for Aboriginal elders aged 55 and over able to live independently.
CEO of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council Nathan Moran welcomed the decision.
"We believe the project would provide many benefits. It's a long-standing dream to provide elders accommodation in Redfern," Mr Moran said.
There is strong demand from Aboriginal community members for affordable housing for elders in the inner city, provided by an Aboriginal-controlled organisation.
A lack of affordable housing can lead to negative impacts including elders needing to leave their community, housing stress or living in sub-standard or overcrowded housing.
"We need this kind of accommodation for our mob," said Aunty Ann Weldon, respected Wiradjuri Elder, founding member & CEO of Metropolitan LALC whom was part of establishing Redfern & Inner-city Aboriginal community.
"It means we can now stay close to family, country, and community as we grow older."
Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said while housing is the responsibility of the NSW Government, the City of Sydney is providing whatever assistance it can to help those who need it most.
"Providing affordable and diverse housing is a key focus for us. It is vital we increase the supply of affordable housing to ensure we continue to have an adaptable, diverse and inclusive city," the Lord Mayor said.
"Too often, elders are forced to leave their communities in search of affordable housing. We are proud to back an Aboriginal-led housing solution that will allow Aboriginal people to age with dignity and independence in the heart of Redfern, keeps families and communities together."
The City of Sydney is committed to tackling the housing crisis and pulls every lever it can to address the broader issue in the local area.
These levers include requiring development contributions towards affordable housing, revising planning rules to encourage the development of affordable housing, grants to boost the number of affordable dwellings, and the sale of land and properties to community housing providers and other similar services below cost.
The City of Sydney's affordable and diverse housing fund supports all forms of subsidised housing that cater for the specialised housing needs of groups of people which may not be supported by mainstream housing options.
Previous funding has supported Hammondcare to build low-cost residential aged care for people experiencing homelessness and Wesley Mission to improve crisis accommodation in Surry Hills.
The City of Sydney is also providing support for a new Aboriginal run aged care facility on Cope Street in Waterloo.
The $3 million grant will be staggered across three stages, with the first step being for the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council to prepare a development application for the building.
