The Future of Social Housing in New South Wales.

The New South Wales Government commitment to breaking the entrenched cycle of disadvantage in social housing estates took a step forward with the January 25 announcement by Minister for Social Housing, The Hon. Brad Hazzard MP.

Minister Hazzard said redeveloping old public housing estates into mixed communities would put thousands of people in social housing on a better path. 

"Children in social housing should not see disadvantage as their only future. It does them good to see their neighbours in private housing going to a job each day."

"We're also providing support and incentives to help people successfully transition out of the social housing system," Minister Hazzard said "and assistance to help people avoid entering it in the first place, with more support to vulnerable households in the private rental market."

The social housing boost is part of the 10 year Future Directions in NSW Social Housing program and one of the NSW Government's state priorities. The program involves a partnership between the private and non-government sectors to deliver more homes at a minimal cost to taxpayers while ensuring better outcomes for the community.

The program aims to:

• Help reduce the waiting list for social housing by providing 23,500 new and replacement social and affordable dwellings;
• Increase the use of private rental assistance products by 60% to help vulnerable households avoid or leave social housing;
• Deliver new mixed communities where social housing blends in with private housing;
• Boost amenities and improve safety for public and private residents; and
• Transfer management up to 35% of social housing to community housing providers, with longer term leases to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Minister Hazzard said that while some people need social housing in the long term, others should see it as a stepping stone to employment.

"We will provide opportunities for those people to get training, find a job and move into the private rental market."

The program is in addition to the Social and Affordable Housing Fund, which will deliver 3,000 new social and affordable dwellings across NSW.

Mike Cullen has recently returned to Akolade after a period as the conference producer for one of Australia's leading economic think tanks. Mike began working in the conference industry in 2007 after looking for a career change from the high pressured world of inbound customer service. Mike has worked for some of the most well-known conference and media companies in the B2B space and in his spare time is working on his first novel in a planned Epic Fantasy trilogy. Mike’s first published work will be the short story Seeds of Eden, in the Sproutlings Anthology scheduled for release in March 2016.