Premier Baird and FACS Minister Upton indicate that 'up to $1 billion' would be made available through the fund, which the Government has linked to its electricity privatisation program. The NSW Council of Social Service and Infrastructure Partnerships Australia have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Government in relation to the fund.
The Coalition Government's interest in increasing funding for social housing and affordable housing is welcome. It acknowledges that present funding levels for social housing in New South Wales are too low to meet the needs of the community. As we said in our submission on the State Government's social housing discussion paper, what it calls the 'present funding envelope' is a starvation ration that cannot sustain present operations, much less grow the sector in line with community need.
It also acknowledges that social and affordable housing is 'infrastructure'; that is, something that helps the community function productively. Social and affordable housing can give people a bit of stability and hence the opportunity to get into education, training and work; and can put workers in places where they are needed.
The link to electricity privatisation is controversial. As we've discussed previously, State Governments need to get their money from somewhere. They can get money by negotiating grants from the Federal Government; from their own power of taxation; from selling things like electricity assets; from borrowing (which is really another sort of sale – that is, the sale of a promise to pay back more, which is something State Government's are in a powerful position to promise, because they can tax).
The NSW State Government can use any of these means of getting more money to better fund social and affordable housing. Parties opposed to the sale of electricity assets can and should commit to more funding for social housing and affordable housing.
I think the Coalition has promised to fund a lot of different things from the money they may get from selling the poles and wires. I'm beginning to think that it won't be going as far as they say
ReplyDeleteLyndal, why let the truth get in the way of an election promise?
ReplyDeleteHas anybody seen the MoU? Listening to Minister Upton on Friday it appears that all the Liberal Party (not the government as they are in caretaker mode) has agreed to is to go bank guarantor for community housing providers - not convinced we have to sell the silverware for that to happen
ReplyDeleteAny ideas facs gets from the chp homeless sectors are sourced thematic ideas from the UK. when the UK govt vested their housing assets most of the chps defaulted on the mortgages. has anyone noticed the changes of the types of board members that are now flocking to these troughs.
Deletein haste...repent at leisure ....????
Another con. They are going to sell off Powerhouse Museum to property developers but I bet they won't condition the sale on a 30% allocation to social housing! I don't trust them, at all. What do they do when there's no more to sell off?
ReplyDeletehttp://nsw.liberal.org.au/ourplanfornsw/
ReplyDeleteThey're replaced their "up to $1 billion" with $20 million.
Hi Chris (for clarity - not the Chris who blogs here)
DeleteThe $20 million is funds for projects to improve social housing neighbourhoods. Separate commitment from the 'up to $1 billion' for new social and affordable housing.
Stop supporting social workers who are just veiled dss.facs workers or pseudo nfps.
DeleteProvide housing without the govts landlord agents. save on grants which is just hidden wages ... more savings to spend on bricks and mortar.