NEW REPORT FINDS ESSENTIAL WORKERS THE MISSING PIECE IN HOUSING POLICY

By David Jones | Public Affairs and Policy Manager, Business Sydney | Mob: 0448 285 996

Business Sydney and urban planning consultancy Urbis today commended the NSW Legislative Assembly Essential Worker Housing Select Committee on its landmark report on the need to prioritise housing for essential workers.

The two organisations jointly hosted a launch event with Committee Chair Alex Greenwich, the State MP for Sydney, to release the report titled, “Options for Essential Worker Housing in NSW”.
The Committee’s report makes a series of findings and 20 separate recommendations that, if implemented, would energise the market for essential worker housing.

Business Sydney Executive Director Paul Nicolaou and Urbis NSW Regional Director Princess Ventura said the report focusing on essential worker housing was timely as the NSW Government and local councils grapple with the housing supply crisis.

Both referred to some of the key observations in the report, such as:
● Essential workers across the public and private sectors are vital and ensure NSW’s cities and regions can function.
● These workers are in the “missing middle” of housing consideration — unable to afford to rent or buy but earned too much to qualify for subsidised affordable housing.
● There is no government agency responsible for considering the specific housing needs of essential workers.
● Due to the policy gap, too many essential workers are forced to sleep in their cars between work shifts or commute for hours a day to deliver services to their communities.

Alex Greenwich MP said:
“Lack of housing for essential workers is having a significant impact on NSW communities. The Committee heard that many essential workers are priced out of the communities they serve, living in unstable accommodation or far away from workplaces.
“Our report calls for the NSW Government to intervene with Homes NSW leading a coordinated effort with a plan and framework for essential worker housing integrated within existing policies.
“These efforts will not be sufficient without also increasing the supply of housing including affordable and essential worker housing.
“Our report sets out several options for the NSW Government to maximise these opportunities such as using government land and fast-tracking planning approvals for essential worker housing.”

Paul Nicolaou said the Committee’s recommendations identified the combined role the Government and Councils could play. One such recommendation would make it mandatory for local councils to incorporate specific provision for essential worker housing in their affordable housing strategies.
Mr Nicolaou said: “It’s astonishing that, as the Committee has found, no government agency currently has responsibility for essential worker housing as a policy area.
“As a result, it’s no surprise that essential workers find themselves in the so called ‘missing middle’ and subject to a policy gap when it comes to housing supply.”

Princess Ventura, said the report validated what planners, businesses, and essential workers themselves have known for some time.
“Essential workers maintain the services and infrastructure of urban life, and have been disproportionately impacted by the housing crisis.”
“This is a timely launch, given this week’s State Budget and the announcement of a $1B commitment to developers towards housing. The question is how much of that $1B will go towards securing housing for essential workers?”

Paul Nicolau said a number of solutions had been identified in the report.
“There is scope to broaden the ‘pattern design’ approach to accelerate the provision of good essential worker housing developments.
“There are some essential worker housing projects either built or in progress in different parts of Sydney.
“To speed up planning approvals the best of these can serve as a ‘pattern’ for other areas.
“A redeveloped Parramatta Road from the Sydney CBD to Parramatta is the perfect place to begin a housing revolution for essential worker housing.”

The Committee received 113 submissions last year. Of the 20 recommendations in the final report, seven were adopted from Business Sydney and Urbis’ joint submission, including:
• State Government to consider long-term leases on government land, providing stability to developers to invest in essential worker housing;
• Amend the Housing SEPP to expand developer incentives;
• Shared equity schemes between employers and essential workers; and
• Mandate essential worker housing in council housing strategies.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Alex Greenwich MP: Bron Matheson 0438 844 765
Business Sydney: David Jones 0448 285 996 david.jones@businesssydney.com
Urbis: Courtney Robinson 0493 277 576 or courtneyrobinson@urbis.com.au