City announces 20 new affordable homes are coming to Glebe

By LAUREN FROST

The City of Sydney has announced the addition of 20 more affordable homes in Glebe which will soon be leased long-term to First Nations women on lower incomes.

Bridge Housing, a community housing provider, has purchased the 20-unit building with the help of a $7.8 million City of Sydney levy.

Following refurbishments, these units will be leased for no more than 30% of the household’s income. It’s expected that the new residents will be able to move into their homes in April this year.

“By purchasing this unit block in Glebe, we have been able to retain affordable homes for our local community. The upgrade works we are undertaking will improve the environmental performance and reduce costs for our residents over the longer term,” Rebecca Pinkstone, CEO Bridge Housing, said.

“Residents will also help design and create a new community garden using Indigenous designing for country principles”.

Lack of affordable housing in Glebe

“We’ve got an acute housing affordability problem in the inner city and responding to this crisis is a critical issue for all levels of government,” Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“It’s crucial that affordable and culturally safe rental options are available to Aboriginal women in central Sydney, a group we know can face additional challenges and be particularly vulnerable when it comes to securing a home.”

This announcement comes off the back of a tough year for affordable housing in the region, with existing social housing developments like the former building on Cowper Street, Glebe, being demolished for redevelopment back in June last year.

Moreover, several government owned homes were sold off to private buyers late last year, a concerning trend when there are expected waiting times of over 10 years for 3-bedroom houses according to the NSW Department of Communities and Justice in 2021.

Hope for the future

The addition of the 20 affordable homes in Glebe aligns with the affordable housing program established in 2014 by the City of Sydney. The program dictates that developers in the southern region of the city are required to make a financial contribution to affordable housing.

These funds are distributed by the City of Sydney and the NSW Department of Communities and Justice among community housing providers in the aim to make 7.5% of local housing affordable for people on low or moderate incomes.

“We know that everyone deserves a safe and stable place to live, and we are committed to delivering more affordable housing to those in our community who need it most,” Minister for Families and Communities Natasha Maclaren-Jones said, echoing the sentiments of the Lord Mayor.

“We’re delighted to help add more affordable homes to the city’s market mix as we strive to make more housing in the local area affordable,” Moore said.