Industry experts, community leaders, politicians and residents took on the housing crisis at the Big Housing Debate 2024: 鈥業nvesting in our social and affordable housing future鈥� co-hosted by Link Wentworth and the Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW). The event held on Friday 19 April, focused on driving ideas and action, as the housing crisis across the state and nation continues to worsen.
A distinguished panel included Rebecca Pinkstone, Chief Executive, 星空视频s NSW; Andrew McAnulty, Chief Executive Officer, Link Wentworth; Nicky Morrison, Professor of Planning, Western Sydney University; and Jeremy Gill, Head of Policy, Committee for Sydney, and guest speaker Marie Sillars, longtime housing advocate and Link Wentworth resident with a closing address from Federal Member for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale MP.
The panel discussion, facilitated by Mark Degotardi, Chief Executive Officer, CHIA NSW, reflected on major issues including the need for substantial commitment and funding from governments to deliver and maintain more social housing. Panelists pointed to the need for urban planning to include social and affordable housing to build awareness, inclusivity and communities that better reflect the realities of the growing need for homes that are affordable.
CHIA NSW CEO Mark Degotardi said, 鈥淣early 58,000 households are on the state鈥檚 social housing waitlist. We know this is just a small number compared to the tens of thousands of households who are not on the waitlist because they are told they can鈥檛 get a home for at least 10 years. It鈥檚 not good enough, and it can鈥檛 be good enough. We must urgently and collectively rally for the NSW Government to make a significant investment in social and affordable housing.鈥�
The debate reiterated the need for cooperation across all levels of government to streamline policies, implementation strategies and resources and provide certainty for industry partners and community housing and public housing providers to deliver. Along with an increasingly urgent need to address the housing supply shortfall, panelists highlighted the importance of treating housing as critical infrastructure, essential to the social and economic fabric of the city. Without this tenet, all policies and measures would fall short of creating a vision that can support cities and populations in the future.
Commentary included the need to ensure affordability is future-proofed, so that key workers and families can establish themselves in place, with some degree of security for their futures. Panelists considered the economic and social impacts of losing key workers, such as nurses, teachers, emergency services workers and shift workers, who cannot afford to live close to where they work.
Andrew McAnulty, CEO Link Wentworth said, 鈥淲e are hearing examples of teachers leaving schools as well as nurses and doctors leaving hospitals. So, we’re actually having a breakdown in the functioning of society. We are also hearing of police who are doing 12-hour shifts and sleeping in their cars. This is such a broad issue; it isn’t just about valuation and methodology鈥攊t’s about a broad, systemic housing failure.鈥�
The human impact of the housing crisis struck a chord across the panel and audiences, with a focus on the adverse effects of housing insecurity on individuals and communities. There was a call for immediate and decisive action to alleviate the pressures faced by thousands awaiting housing, to implement long-term solutions that prevent future crises, and for much greater public investment.
Jerome Laxale, Federal MP for Bennelong, representing the NSW Minister for Housing & 星空视频lessness, Rose Jackson, gave the closing address about the importance of collaboration across all levels of government. Since coming into government over two years, the federal government has allocated $25 billion towards 40,000 social and affordable housing dwellings, with the recent Housing Australia Futures Fund oversubscribed. With commitment across all levels of government, he echoed other speakers – optimism for the future and an alignment of efforts in addressing the housing crisis.
The debate concluded on the note that while the challenges are significant, the commitment to resolve them must be greater, emphasising a proactive and compassionate and depoliticised approach to housing policy that transcends electoral cycles.
The Big Housing Debate 2024 pressed for all levels of governments to work alongside not-for-profit community housing providers and engage innovative funding models, for urgent change.
Media enquiries
Eva Gerencer, Chief Communications Officer
eva.gerencer@linkwentworth.org.au
0427 926 588
Link Wentworth wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Land on which we work and pay our respect to the Elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.