Feedback sought on plan to deliver affordable housing
Published on 03 February 2025
Ku-ring-gai Council is seeking feedback on a draft policy to deliver new affordable housing for essential workers such as teachers, nurses and emergency services workers.
The draft Affordable Housing Policy was endorsed for public exhibition at the Council’s December meeting last year.
A report tabled at the meeting found that:
- 71.6% of Ku-ring-gai’s essential workers are living outside the Ku-ring-gai council area and subject to long commutes and potential workplace burn-out
- 23% of Ku-ring-gai’s renters are in housing stress
- Current affordable housing in Ku-ring-gai has been provided through an existing State planning policy, meaning it will return to full market rent within the next ten years.
The draft policy outlines how Council will support the construction of new permanent affordable housing with rents aimed at people on low to moderate incomes.
It states that new residential projects arising from private rezoning proposals should set aside 10% of their dwellings as affordable housing. This target would be subject to development feasibility testing.
Under the policy and where Council is leading the rezoning process, an Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme would be developed, again supported by feasibility testing.
The exception to the above scenarios would be in Transport Oriented Development precincts, where at least 2% of dwellings would need to be affordable to meet NSW Government targets.
The draft policy states that it is Council’s expectation that new affordable housing dwellings must be constructed to a high quality, in line with other market-priced housing. The dwellings would then be handed to a community housing provider to manage on Council’s behalf.
Under the proposed policy the community housing provider would be asked to focus on groups including essential workers, Ku-ring-gai residents in housing stress and women older than 65 years.
Ku-ring-gai Mayor Christine Kay said that as a long-standing advocate of affordable housing in the local area, she was ‘very encouraged’ by the development of the new policy.
“I am passionate about retaining the teachers, nurses and emergency services workers so essential to our community’s stability and helping to provide housing for vulnerable people in Ku-ring-gai,” Mayor Kay said.
“I believe this draft policy is a great step in the right direction for improving housing affordability and I’d encourage those interested to give their feedback during the public exhibition.”
The draft Affordable Housing Policy is on exhibition between 3 February and 3 March at krg.nsw.gov.au/yoursay
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Media enquiries: media@krg.nsw.gov.au or 9424 0000.