The ownership of 1300 public housing properties will be transferred to community groups which will be expected to increase social housing stock numbers.
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The government said the properties are already managed by these not-for-profit providers for people on the social housing register. It says the change is aimed at providing the non-government sector with a greater base of capital against which it can borrow money from the private sector to invest in more housing.
The government expects this will help make more social housing available in NSW. It will also transfer property maintenance costs from the state government to the community sector, which it says can access Commonwealth assistance.
NSW Minister for Finance and Services Greg Pearce said 1302 NSW Land and Housing Corporation properties would be transferred to nine community housing providers (CHPs).
Mr Pearce said the new arrangement would position the providers to leverage the properties to build more social and affordable housing.
"From Orange to Ryde and Grafton to Wagga Wagga, more than 1300 properties across the state will be transferred to nine CHPs to manage and maintain,'' he said.
"This is a substantial vote of confidence in these nine CHPs and I look forward to seeing the additional properties that they will deliver as a result.''
Mr Pearce said the change was in response to a state government review that looked into the transfer of property ownership to community providers. This included reviewing the use of properties already transferred to the non-government sector, along with the contractual and regulatory arrangements.
"The recommendations highlighted the need to strengthen aspects of the transfer program including reporting procedures, contracts and the requirement for CHPs to deliver additional properties in which to house applicants on the social housing register,'' he said.
"The government amended community housing agreements in line with these recommendations and further strengthened them by requiring providers to meet their leveraging targets rather than to use their best endeavours to do so.''
The successful providers are: On Track Community Programs, Tweed Heads South; North Coast Community Housing Co Ltd, Lismore; Housing Plus, Orange; Homes North Community Housing Company Ltd, Armidale; Ecclesia Housing Ltd, North Parramatta; Bridge Housing Ltd, Strawberry Hills; Argyle Community Housing Ltd, Bowral; Affordable Community Housing, Silverwater; and St George Community Housing Ltd, Hurstville.
