A not-for-profit housing group has tabled a solution to the state’s social housing crisis, advocating for private management.
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Pacific Link has submitted a 30-page report to the NSW Department of Family and Community Services with recommendations to improve the supply of social housing.
The organisation wants the government to transfer the long-term management of these properties to approved community housing providers.
There are 1800 social housing properties in Maitland alone.
Pacific Link Housing CEO Keith Gavin said the cost to manage and maintain the properties leaves little government spending to increase the number of houses available.
There is a 10-year wait for public housing in the Hunter.
“Over 30 years, the community housing sector has developed as a can-do sector,” Mr Gavin said.
“Organisations like Pacific Link have the proven capacity to partner with government in collaboration programs of real benefit to the sector.”
Pacific Link Housing is one of a number of not-for-profit agencies advocating for the government to outsource the management of social housing portfolios.
This would mean organisations would manage the portfolio and would have access to Commonwealth rental assistance to reduce costs.
The state government is a public body and cannot access the CRA.
“This would be a major win/win outcome for the state government, the community housing sector, and families now on long waiting lists,” Mr Gavin said.
“The addition of Commonwealth rental assistance will add around $70 per fortnight in Commonwealth funding to the community housing sector for every property on long-term leases from the government.
“This additional funding can be used to fund additional housing supply at no cost to the state government.”
In Maitland, this would equate to $2.73 million for the 1800 homes each year.
The recommendations in the report also dealt with the creation of an exit strategy to help tenants move off the social housing register.
The current welfare system provides no incentive to work, as employed tenants lose a large portion of their benefit payments.
Pacific Link has recommended gradual, affordable rental scales which take into account the tenants situation, as well as government-backed rental guarantees.
There is also a recommendation for shared ownership schemes, where tenants would have the opportunity to buy the property and this money would be re-invested into new housing stock.
“We want to be part of the solution in our region,” he said.