100,000 NEW HOMES

  • 100,000 new public and social housing over the next 10 years

  • Ban the sell off of public housing and public land

  • 10% of all dwellings to be public or social housing by 2040


Everyone in NSW should have access to a home they can afford. The chronic housing crisis in NSW means we need a housing revolution now.

The Greens will lead this revolution and commit to NSW investing in a once-in-a -generation mega public homes building project that will forever change peoples’ lives now and into the future.

The Greens will radically reshape public housing in this state so that it becomes what it was established for -  back when governments supported the idea that good quality, safe, accessible and affordable housing was something we all had a legitimate claim to.

Our promise for a massive investment in the creation of livable, sustainable and climate-safe homes is based on the conviction that everyone is entitled to live in a home that they can afford and that everyone should be able to choose to live in an affordable home for the whole of their lives if they choose.

Successive NSW governments have destroyed this egalitarian vision of housing with disastrous effects creating a black hole for the over 100,000 people waiting for public housing in this state. 

The Greens believe that access to accessible, sustainable, affordable housing is crucial to health and well being, and should be considered essential infrastructure and a key responsibility of government. Social and affordable housing should be universally available as an alternative to the private housing market.

This means a massive boost to publicly owned social and affordable homes, supporting not-for-profit community housing initiatives including cooperative housing and community land trusts to reduce some of the huge costs associated with private home ownership.

The Greens will stop the sell off of public housing and make the parliament vote on any sales of public lands and properties worth over $1 million, rather than what we have now which is privatisation on a large scale. 

Since 2011, the Liberal National government has sold off more than $3b worth of social housing. By our calculations, that would build about 10,000 new dwellings. But from 2016-2021 - in a 5 year period -  only just over 2,000 social housing dwellings were completed under the government's Community Plus program. This is no accident -  the rotten neo-Liberal ideology that drives social policy in Macquarie St is unconcerned at the prospect of more and more people homeless every year. 

It is critical that First Nations owned and operated social housing is funded as a priority if we are going to solve the homelessness crisis and face the ongoing impacts of colonisation and displacement.

Older women, disabled people, young people, and those from the LGBTIQ+ community are disproportionately at risk of homelessness. With the number of older women facing homelessness increasing drastically over the past years, the need for targeted programs and specialised housing and services is crucial.

The cost of housing is out of control. Liberal, National and Labor governments have always given special treatment to property developers and investors who are making massive profits and driving up housing costs.

The Greens will drive a housing revolution and radically overhaul the stacked housing system in NSW to ensure that everyone has a home they can afford.

The Greens will:

  • Invest in 10,000 new public and social homes each year for the next 10 years
  • Legislate to require that least 10% of all dwellings in NSW must be public and not-for-profit social housing by 2040  
  • 100% public, social or affordable housing on public land
  • Ban the sale of public housing and public land that can be used for public and social housing
  • Support not-for-profit community housing initiatives, including shared equity and cooperative housing models
  • Fund ongoing investment in specialist homelessness services, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, and support services to ensure a Housing FIrst approach and end homelessness in NSW

 

We will create a Public, Social and Affordable Housing Commissioner to oversee and ensure all public, social and affordable housing tenants have a place to be able to raise concerns as well as a body that can ensure delivery of enough homes for people across government. Local councils are well placed to drive an increase in affordable housing  throughout NSW and they should be empowered to do this and have targets to meet so that people are able to afford to live in the areas where they work. 

Big corporate developers are cashing in on windfall profits in housing whether it’s private home purchases or large scale build-to-rent projects. We are calling for 30 percent of all these new private housing developments to be long term, affordable homes.

Additionally we commit to: 

  • Establishing a specialist older persons’ housing information and support service that comprises both an early intervention and crisis response for older people at risk of homelessness.
  • Ensuring that specialist homelessness services can provide services with certainty by commissioning contracts of at least 5 years.
  • Removing arbitrary caps on length and availability of crisis and temporary accommodation for people who are homeless.
  • Increasing the provision of early intervention, support services and programs for people at risk of homelessness, as well as for people to exit homelessness and secure ongoing housing using the Housing First model.
  • Ensuring funding for secular women's-only services, refuges and shelters that specifically include trans women and disabled women.