Our Achievements

1. Provide flexible and sustainable social housing responses for clients.

• Development of reforms to eligibility and length of tenure in public housing announced in the Reshaping Public Housing Plan commenced.
• Investment in new supply totalled $168.79 million to provide 775 additional dwellings for public and community housing. 
• 9,082 new households were housed in public housing, 2,825 of whom had complex priority needs. 
• The acquisition of 126 dwellings commenced to provide additional supported accommodation in partnership with NSW Health for people with mental illness. 
• Interim tenancy management arrangements with an existing community housing provider were established for the Port Jackson Supported Housing Model. 
• Around 8,700 Aboriginal households were accommodated through mainstream public housing and the management of 4,202 properties on behalf of the Aboriginal Housing Office.

2. Work more effectively with the private market, local government and the non-government sector to provide housing solutions in NSW.

• Over 55,700 assistances were provided in the private rental market through Rentstart, Tenancy Guarantees and Special Assistance Subsidies. 
• The Department was awarded gold in the Premier’s Public Sector Awards for the development of a brokerage scheme which helps people with complex needs into private rental housing. 
• A National Conference on Affordable Housing was conducted in Sydney with 400 delegates attending from across Australia. 
• 213 new Perfect Start Loans, valued at $27.60 million, were provided to low-to-moderate income earners purchasing their own homes. 
• Expressions of interest were sought in relation to a public private partnership for the planning and implementation of improvements in houses and infrastructure in the Bonnyrigg Estate. 
• The Office of Community Housing spent $2.61 million to develop housing partnerships with the non-government sector for people with complex needs. 

3. Strengthen local housing communities to help address social and economic disadvantage.

• A masterplan was developed for the proposed redevelopment of the public housing estate at Minto. 
• The Department increased staff resources and community development activities in the Gordon Estate in Dubbo. 
• The community greening program continued to be popular with over 70 gardening projects and 4,000 residents participating.  
• Over $3.90 million was spent in the delivery of intensive tenancy management services to 17 social housing communities.  
• Landscaping traineeships to social housing residents were provided through a partnership with Mission Australia.  
• Funds were provided to support 16 tenant councils and services that provide advisory services and represent client needs across the state. 

4. Provide efficient, effective and viable services.

• Developed reforms in rent levels and the passing on of water usage costs for public housing tenants for implementation in 2005-06.  
• A ten year Asset Portfolio Strategy was developed to guide re-alignment of social housing stock to best meet client needs.  
• A new maintenance regime was piloted and preparations made to expand this model to 16 other locations in 2005-06. 
• The conduct of assessments of community housing providers commenced under the new performance-based registration system. 
• A mentoring program commenced to support the retention and career development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.

Top of page