THE NSW Budget is delivering a $6.6 billion into social housing and homelessness services and is attempting to ease the housing crisis for renters, builders and those living in strata communities with $55.2 million investment.
The record investment into social housing and homelessness services will build 8,400 social homes across the state, with 6,200 to be new homes and 2,200 to replace established accommodation.
The program will prioritise at least half the new homes built for survivors of family and domestic violence.
This comes at 38% of those seeking specialist homelessness services in 2022 to 2023 reported family and domestic violence as the main reason they were seeking assistance but almost half were turned away.
The budget includes a $527 million investment in frontline homelessness services, including establishing a Homelessness Innovation Fund.
Data from NSW Productivity Commission found the Sydney housing crisis is contributing to the city losing around 7,000 people aged 30 to 40 to other more affordable states every year.
This on top of $202.6 million to fund a critical maintenance program for Aboriginal Housing to repair and upgrade homes as part of genuine action to Close the Gap.
This Budget also includes a $15 million extension of the partnership with the Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA) to continue the Cadetship Program.
The Cadetship Program offers paid placements, providing social housing tenants with opportunities to develop new skills in the sector.
Meanwhile, the government’s $55.2 million investment into renters, home builders and those living in strata communities includes a $35 million boost to Building Commission NSW, for enhanced digital capabilities.
As well as $8.4 million for frontline rental inspectors and engagement officers to help the Rental Commissioner enforce quality standards.
And $11.8 million to allow the Strata and Property Services Commissioner to educate owners’ corporations and hold strata agents to account, including $3.5 million over two years towards the Strata Hub online platform to centralise information for those who live in or own a property in a strata scheme.
This all builds on the already established Building Commission NSW and the Strata and Property Services Commissioner and the NSW Rental Commissioner.