NSW Community Housing Conference Delivering Affordable Housing Through Planning - City of Canada Bay Experience - Neil Kenzler Councillor, City of ...
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NSW Community Housing Conference
Delivering Affordable Housing Through
Planning – City of Canada Bay
Experience
Neil Kenzler
Councillor, City of Canada Bay
6 May 2015
1
Bournville Housing Project
George Cadbury was a housing reformer interested in improving the living
conditions of working people. In 1895 he bought 120 acres near the factory
and began to build houses in line with the ideals of the embryo Garden City
movement.
Motivation for building the Bournville Village was two-fold. Firstly, George
Cadbury wanted to provide affordable housing in pleasant surroundings for
wage earners. The second reason was that as the Bournville factory grew,
local land value increased and was ready to fall into the hands of developers
and the brothers did not want their 'factory in a garden' to be hemmed in by
monotonous streets.
The community was designed to be mixed in terms of both class and
occupation, not just a village for Cadbury workers.
In 1900 George Cadbury handed over the land and houses to the Bournville
Village Trust, with a charter to devote revenue to the extension of the estate
and promote housing reform. The Trust is separate from the Cadbury
business, although members of the Cadbury family continue to act as
Trustees.
2
City Limits – Kelly and Donegan
Home ownership among younger people is
declining, while renters, who make up one in
four households, face insecurity and instability.
As more people live further from city centres,
traffic congestion is getting worse. For many
commuting is becoming intolerable. Social
isolation is deepening, while polarisation
between rich and poor, young and old, the inner
city and suburbs, continues to grow. Failure to
manage our cities is hurting our economy.
3
Affordable Housing
• No agreed definition
• Many different meanings (and PREJUDICES)
• No common language
This is part of the problem
As is SEPP 10 Affordable Housing Rental as it
upsets the community and gives Affordable
Housing a ‘bad’ name
4City of Canada Bay’s Affordable
Housing Portfolio
• City of Canada Bay owns 24 dwellings ( 5 x 1 BR, 9 x 2 BR
and 10 x 3BR)
• Houses 24 families (55 people) at discounted rental
• Tenants are employees in education, health and other
sectors
• Tenants must satisfy eligibility criteria (eg income and
assets test on an on-going basis via annual review)
• Tenants and properties managed by St George
Community Housing
• Maximum term of lease is 5 years
• For 6 dwellings, priority given to Concord Hospital staff
who meet eligibility criteria
5Portfolio Acquired via Voluntary
Planning Agreements (VPAs)
• Portfolio acquired via VPAs
• VPA captures some of the value from up-zoning
of land use for benefit of community
• First properties secured by VPA in Feb 2007, then
built and transferred to Council ownership in
2009
• Implied trust on funds – only able to use for
Affordable Housing but Council can buy and sell
properties (ie change stock)
• Potential to use rental income to purchase
additional dwellings for more Affordable Housing
6What is a VPA?
Select Committee on Social, Public and Affordable
Housing (NSW Legislative Council Sep 2014) defined
Voluntary Planning Agreements as:
• Agreements entered into by a planning authority, for
example the Department of Planning and Environment
and a developer. Under this type of agreement, a
developer can agree to provide or fund affordable
housing, usually in exchange for another incentive,
such as a density bonus or land contribution. The
contribution to affordable housing may be monetary,
the dedication of land or the construction of
infrastructure.
7Legislative Council Select Committee
• Recommendation 30 – That the Department of
Planning and Environment ensure each local
council has considered having an affordable
housing strategy in place, including affordable
housing targets, by 1 September 2016, and
further, that they develop critical pathways to
enable local councils to achieve these targets
• Recommendation 31 – That the Department of
Planning and Environment set affordable housing
targets at the state and regional level
8St Vincent de Paul Society
2015 Social Justice Statement – Affordable
Housing and Homelessness:
St Vincent de Paul Society calls on the NSW
and Federal Government to, amongst other
things:
• Ensure local councils have an affordable
housing strategy in place with affordable
housing targets
9What is Sector doing to engage with
Local Government?
10Suggestions
Educate Councillors:
• Housing is part of infrastructure – the economic perspective – city’s need to house
local workers for local jobs (eg hospitals, schools, police, childcare)
• Governance model for Affordable Housing Portfolio (eg Community Housing
Provider manage tenant and property)
Ask Councillors to:
• Establish affordable housing targets
• Establish an Affordable Housing Policy
• Utilise VPAs (eg acquire Affordable Housing properties at no cost to ratepayers)
• Broaden their revenue base beyond rates (ie rental from Affordable Housing
properties)
Ask Councillors to:
• Advocate that State Government implements Select Committee recommendations
• Advocate that State Government implements St Vincent de Paul Society Social
Justice Statement
Partner with Councils:
• Develop Council land for Affordable Housing
11Notice of Motion
Affordable Housing
For an example, please refer to the City of
Canada Bay Council Agenda 7 April 2015
http://www.canadabay.nsw.gov.au/2015-04-07.html
12Thank you
13You can also read
