Message from the Minister
As the NSW Minister for Housing I am committed to providing affordable housing for the people of NSW – a key priority for the NSW Government. More and more people are struggling financially with rising petrol and grocery prices and mortgage costs and we need new levels of cooperation and determination from Housing NSW, the private sector, other government agencies and non-government organisations.
A new cooperative Commonwealth-state approach to housing
We finally have a Federal Government showing real leadership and compassion. Over the past year, housing ministers across Australia have been working with the Commonwealth Minister for Housing, Tanya Plibersek, to develop a new strategy to improve housing affordability through the Council of Australian Governments. Through these discussions a new National Affordable Housing Agreement is being negotiated and we are also working closely on the development of an Australia-wide National Rental Affordability Scheme which, once it is adopted, will provide a range of housing options and support over the coming years.
This new era of cooperation was apparent at the 5th National Housing Conference at which my Commonwealth colleagues Tanya Plibersek (Commonwealth Minister for Housing) and Jenny Macklin (Commonwealth Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) were present. Both the NSW and Federal governments gave commitments to meet the significant challenges ahead and improve the housing outlook for all Australians. We can learn from overseas experience to improve social housing in NSW to help address housing affordability.
Providing housing for those most in need
Ensuring that people have access to affordable housing is a national issue and can only be achieved with the cooperation of government and the private sector. By partnering with the private sector, the NSW Government can create new housing to accelerate the renewal of our assets. Over the past year, the NSW Government has announced a number of new development projects to be delivered over the long term, including major projects at Villawood, Riverwood and Glebe.
Creating sustainable and affordable housing for the social housing sector is a primary goal of the NSW Government to be delivered through Housing NSW. Housing NSW has over 5,000 homes planned and under construction. With over $2 billion worth of construction in the pipeline, this makes the NSW Government one of Australia’s largest providers of homes for those most in need.
The progress we have made in the West Dubbo redevelopment shows the success of cooperation between the government, not-for-profit and private sectors to create housing solutions that suit the needs of the community. The sale of public housing to owner-occupiers and the development of integrated public and private housing will ensure that the community grows together.
The NSW Government is committed to ensuring the needs of the most vulnerable in our community, particularly the homeless, are looked after. To achieve this we are working together with a number of government agencies and non-government human services organisations to create a partnership of support. This will be achieved through the implementation of a number of strategies that the NSW Partnership Against Homelessness has identified for the next three years. The work being undertaken by NSW is being influenced by developments at the national level with the Rudd Government’s strong commitment to addressing and preventing homelessness.
Creating sustainable public housing
More than ever, it is clear that we must conduct our business in a way that is sustainable in the long term. At the National Housing Conference, the Environmental Sustainability Consultation Paper was launched which will assist Housing NSW to develop a strategy to save resources and to reduce its environmental footprint. Housing NSW will be working with other organisations and social housing residents on how they can live in an environmentally sustainable way and reduce carbon emissions.
Before I sign off, I would like to thank Mike Allen and his staff at Housing NSW for all their hard work this year. Their many achievements include delivering key NSW Government commitments and the outstanding National Housing Conference. In particular, I would like to thank them for their prompt action following the Blacktown storms, which ensured affected citizens were safely housed following the devastation.
I look forward to working with Housing NSW and our stakeholders in improving the lives of people who live in public housing and to deliver vibrant and affordable housing for the people of NSW.
The Hon. David Borger MP
Minister for Housing
Minister for Western Sydney
Top of page
Letter of submission to Minister
The Hon David Borger MP
Minister for Housing
Minister for Western Sydney
Level 37 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Dear Minister
I am pleased to submit the Annual Report for Housing NSW for the year ending 30 June 2008 for presentation to Parliament.
This report and the accompanying financial statements fulfil the requirements of the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983, the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984, the Annual Reports (Departments) Act 1985, associated regulations and the Housing Act 2001.
Following the report’s tabling in Parliament, it will be made available on the Housing NSW website.
Yours sincerely
Mike Allen
Director-General
Top of page
Director-General’s Overview
The past year has seen Housing NSW consolidate on initiatives from 2006/07 and establish a blueprint for our future direction. Housing NSW serves the NSW community by providing homes for people in need. We help the most vulnerable in our community, the elderly, young people, homeless people, and people with a disability. To deliver on our charter, we need to focus on our areas of priority and that has certainly been my focus over the past year.
A New Direction through the Corporate Plan
During 2007/08, I worked with the rest of the Executive on developing our new Corporate Plan to take Housing NSW forward over the next three years. The Corporate Plan outlines the direction for Housing NSW which will see us providing housing support to people across NSW along a continuum of housing need – from the prevention of homelessness through to increasing the affordability of housing for those on moderate incomes.
The Corporate Plan was developed in line with the NSW State Plan and supports it by driving towards improved services for NSW communities and identifies six priority outcomes that describe how we will achieve our identified targets over the next three years.
With our Corporate Plan 2007/08–2009/10 driving our work now and into the future, you will notice that this Annual Report is structured to report against the six corporate outcomes. The performance indicators directly relate to how we are delivering against a number of strategies that have been identified to be achieved during 2007/08.
Key achievements
I am proud to say that Housing NSW has already achieved a great deal in the first year of implementing our Corporate Plan. In particular, our aim of delivering more affordable housing for those in need has been significantly boosted by the implementation of a number of strategies under Planning for the Future: New Directions for Community Housing in NSW. The past year has seen the first three rounds of funding from the Affordable Housing Innovations Fund delivering $22.9 million for community housing providers to provide 45 new affordable housing dwellings.
A key focus for the ongoing reconfiguration of social housing is to ensure that housing meets the needs of clients. For example, during 2007/08, we commenced a number of projects that will deliver seniors’ living complexes, including developments at Redfern and Macquarie Fields, and reconfiguring existing properties for aged tenants, such as at Gallop Court, Maroubra. Our Disabled Modifications Program continued to address the needs of clients with disabilities.
At Housing NSW, we are committed to working with communities to enable our tenants to reintegrate into their local community and overcome the cycle of disadvantage they face. Over the past year, the Building Stronger Communities initiative has been successfully introduced into the six priority locations across NSW. Each of the local teams worked closely with the community and local businesses to build viable relationships and develop regeneration plans which will provide the foundations for a new vision and future for these areas.
I was delighted to personally welcome members of the newly constituted Social Housing Tenants Advisory Committee which was established in February 2008. The members were selected through an expression of interest process and represent a cross-section of public, community and Aboriginal housing tenants. Their input into how Housing NSW implements policies and procedures will greatly improve our service delivery to clients.
Housing NSW – a vibrant organisation
In a year of changes, new projects and major developments, my task is that much easier knowing that I have such dedicated and enthusiastic staff. Over the past year, a number of business units were recognised for their expertise and quality of work, including the Water Management Unit, which was announced the 2007 winner of the Australasian Housing Institute Award for Outstanding Contribution to Change: Increasing Environmental Sustainability. Our Tenancy Facilitation service was also recognised by the Australasian Housing Institute in recognition of client support.
In closing, I look forward to working with our new Minister, the Honourable David Borger in the coming year, which I expect to be a challenging and exciting one. I would also like to thank all Housing NSW staff for their hard work and for their ongoing enthusiasm to help the people of NSW.
Mike Allen
Director-General
Housing NSW
Top of page
What we do
Housing NSW operates under the Housing Act 2001 to manage the NSW Government’s housing portfolio and develop broader housing strategies. How we will achieve these goals over the short term has been outlined in the six corporate outcomes of the Corporate Plan. The first four major outcomes align with the continuum of housing need, from the prevention of homelessness through to the provision of affordable housing. The fifth and sixth major outcomes reflect the way that Housing NSW will meet these needs.
In working towards its purpose, Housing NSW:
- works with other departments, agencies and other organisations to address homelessness in NSW
- manages NSW’s public housing portfolio
- funds and regulates the provision of community housing and crisis accommodation
- manages Aboriginal public housing for the Aboriginal Housing Office
- plays a key role in developing policy and supporting relationships to increase access to the supply of affordable housing across NSW
- provides a range of products and services to assist people into the private rental market and home ownership and
- provides policy advice to government and manages the Housing Act 2001 and associated legislation.
Contact details for a range of housing services provided by Housing NSW are included in Appendix 27, pages 107 to 111.
Top of page
Our values
Our values outline the behaviours that we will demonstrate in working towards our purpose.
We make a difference
We are committed to making a sustainable difference to social outcomes. We are committed to achieving this with fairness and integrity. We aim to make our actions socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.
We help
We are committed to helping people in need. We try to understand and respond compassionately to our clients’ circumstances. We empower people to make informed decisions.
We work together
We are committed to treating everyone with respect – each other, our clients, our partners and the broader community. We work as a team, while remembering that we are individually accountable. We work towards finding practical and affordable solutions.
We are part of the community
We are committed to serving and strengthening the community. We aim to work with our partners.
Top of page
Highlights of 2007/08
- Minister launches Assistance Protocol for Residential Park Closures in September 2007
- NSW Homelessness Strategic Framework Stage 1 endorsed in May 2008 by chief executives of partner agencies
- Approximately 40,000 people assisted through Crisis Accommodation Program
- Minister launched Planning for the Future with target of increasing community housing properties from 13,000 to 30,000 in 10 years
- Connecting Older Tenants pilot launched with nine projects resourced
- $9.75 million was spent on disability modifications in 3480 public housing dwellings
- Minister announced Compass Housing Services as successful tenderer to manage social housing in Broken Hill
- Minister released Environmental Sustainability Consultation Paper at National Housing Conference in February 2008
- Housing Amendment (Community Housing Providers) Act 2007 passed by NSW Parliament in November 2007, providing framework for new system of regulation
- All six Building Stronger Communities priority locations developed regeneration partnership plans in consultation with tenants and local communities
- Minister announced major redevelopments in Riverwood and Villawood
- $110,000 for community projects under inaugural 2008/09 Eco-Wise Community Grants
- Housing NSW co-hosts 5th National Housing Conference 2008
- $22.9 million allocated for 179 new properties through Affordable Housing Innovations Fund
- Mortgage Assistance Scheme assisted 185 clients to a value of $1.308 million
- Social Housing Tenants Advisory Committee established as a state-wide consultative structure in February 2008 as a one-year pilot
- Tenancy Facilitation service wins award at 2007 Australasian Housing Institute Awards
- Launch of new Housing NSW online skills development program – Building Our Future: People, Work and Skills Framework
- 17 pilot locations to trial Maintenance Reform Program, involving 26,400 properties and 14 multi-trade maintenance contractors
- First 16 solar photovoltaic systems installed on homes in October 2007 as part of Blacktown Solar City project
- NSW Parliament passed the Housing Amendment (Tenant Fraud) Act 2008 and Tenant Fraud Unit established
Top of page
Our clients
Social housing, provided through public, community and Aboriginal housing, represents the majority of Housing NSW’s clients. Recent general trends in society that affect Housing NSW are:
- strong population growth in some areas, particularly in the Sydney metropolitan and coastal area, while areas like Western NSW have experienced population decline. More immigrants settle in Sydney than in other Australian cities. It is expected that numbers will continue to remain high, contributing to pressures on housing and the demand for housing assistance and other support services
- a general decrease in household size, driven by an ageing population, single-parent households and families choosing to have fewer children.
In addition, we have an increasing number of clients with complex needs, including:
- older people – nearly one-third of Housing NSW household heads are over 65 years of age
- people with disabilities – over one-quarter of Housing NSW tenants are on the disability support pension
- people with mental health issues – need coordinated support services from a number of agencies
- Aboriginal people – tend to rely heavily on social housing and are three times as likely as non-Aboriginal people to live in large households. The Aboriginal housing sector also requires special funding arrangements to maintain its viability.
Top of page
Statistical Summary
Top of page
Financial summary
The major sources of funds for Housing NSW are rental income, funds received through the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA), other Commonwealth and State government funds and interest income.
The increase of $22 million in rent and other tenant charges from 2006/07 to 2007/08 is largely attributed to the annual CPI increases in statutory benefits received by social housing clients. Government grants have reduced by almost $35 million largely due to funding received in 2006/07 from the Rental Bond Board for affordable housing initiatives.
Employee related and other operating costs increased by $27 million from 2006/07 to 2007/08 due largely to award increases, new policy initiatives and reforms and general increases in the cost of operating expenses.
Top of page
Who we are
Relationship between the Minister for Housing, Housing NSW and the NSW Land and Housing Corporation
On 6 May 2008, the NSW Department of Housing changed its name to Housing NSW.
The Housing Act 2001 is administered by the Minister for Housing (‘the Minister’). The Housing Act continued the corporate existence of the New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation (‘the Corporation’) as a body corporate representing the Crown. This is a continuation of the body of the same name constituted under the now repealed Housing Act 1985 and the Home Purchase Assistance Authority.
The Corporation (being a statutory corporation) has no appointed members, and the Director-General of Housing NSW manages its affairs. Housing NSW and the Corporation act in a complementary manner to achieve a unified administration of the Housing Act. Housing NSW is a division of the Government Service and employs all staff used by the Corporation. The Corporation holds land, buildings and other assets within the housing portfolio and is the entity through which all transactions occur.
Housing NSW and the Corporation are linked in the legislation in that:
- the Director-General of Housing NSW manages the affairs of the Corporation so that anything done in the name of, or on behalf of, the Corporation by the Director-General, shall be deemed to have been done by the Corporation and
- the Corporation is empowered to exercise any of its functions in the name of Housing NSW.
Executive Team
The Executive meet as a team twice a month. The Executive team has two major roles to:
- determine the strategic direction of Housing NSW and monitor the organisation’s performance and
- manage the operations of Housing NSW.
Housing NSW’s governance arrangements are regularly reviewed to ensure that robust management and decision-making processes are in place. (For further details on Management Structures and Executive Officers, see Appendix 4, page 78.)
Each Executive Director leads a functional area of Housing NSW and has responsibilities to deliver against identified strategies in the Corporate Plan. Each functional area has certain targets to reach in relation to several of the corporate outcomes of the Housing NSW Corporate Plan, under the guidance of their Executive Director. In this way, the organisation as a whole is committed to delivering against the Corporate Plan 2007/08–2009/10 under the strategic governance of the Director-General and the Executive team.
Organisational chart
Top of page