All levels of government contribute to shaping local housing markets and have a role to play in promoting better housing outcomes. Commonwealth taxation policies, commonwealth and state housing assistance programs, state and local land use and transportation planning processes and infrastructure programs, are just a few examples.
Whilst the primary responsibility for housing policy and housing funding lies with federal and state/territory governments, local governments may play a role in facilitating housing delivery and retaining existing affordable housing. In preparing and implementing a local housing strategy, local government operates within a larger institutional and funding framework and may draw on resources provided by federal and state government.
In this section some of the key roles and responsibilities of the various tiers of government in relation to housing in general are described, before examining the specific issue of affordable housing.
This section sets the context for the role of local government in housing by considering the roles national, state/territory and local governments currently play in housing and housing assistance; introduces the metropolitan and regional strategies in NSW; and examines the statutory framework for local government’s role in housing.