Questions remain about who will really benefit from Liverpool City Council’s latest housing push, with no clear indication proposed homes will be within reach of the people who need them most, Homelessness NSW said today.
“Liverpool already has more than 1,000 people without a home, including a huge number of children and young people,” Homelessness NSW CEO Dom Rowe said.
“Yet there appears to be nothing revealed in today’s media that this plan guarantees even one of those people will be housed.
“In an area like Liverpool, with high levels of homelessness and housing stress, we should be seeing a far more ambitious response.
“At least one in five, if not closer to one in three, of these homes should be set aside as social and affordable housing to reflect the level of need.
“Without that, we risk simply building thousands of new homes most locals can’t afford while leaving the most vulnerable exactly where they are.”
The proposal, reported in today’s Daily Telegraph, links a major Metro expansion to unlocking tens of thousands of new homes as part of efforts to meet state housing targets.
But Ms Rowe said it reflects a growing problem in housing policy focusing on supply, while ignoring who that supply is actually for.
“Liverpool is one of several high-need areas across Greater Sydney, but that’s exactly why any plans for the area need to go further, or at the very least clearly outline a commitment.
“If these homes are priced out of reach, they won’t go to people sleeping rough, couch surfing or stuck in crisis accommodation - just those who can already afford to compete in the market.”
Homelessness NSW data shows more than a third of people experiencing homelessness in Liverpool are children and young people, while nearly one in five are employed, highlighting the scale of the affordability crisis.
“Homelessness in Sydney’s south-west has been rising for years, and the underlying drivers of housing stress, low incomes and long social housing waits haven’t gone away.
“Infrastructure projects like new Metro lines may support growth, but they will not address the immediate needs of people without homes.
“If all levels of government are serious about fixing homelessness, every housing announcement must include clear, enforceable targets for social and affordable homes, otherwise it’s simply more of the same.”
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