Parliamentary secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald, has praised a state government strategy to sell off $19 million worth of social housing in the Hunter in the last two years despite growing waiting lists of tenants.
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It comes after Shadow Minister for the Hunter, Kate Washington, criticised the government for what she described as “the rampant sell-off” of social housing.
She said the sell-off of Hunter properties came “despite the social housing waiting list ballooning out to over 60,000 applicants amid the escalating housing affordability crisis”.
In Lake Macquarie, she said, $9.6 million worth of social housing had been sold, including $2.6 million in Bolton Point.
“Hunter residents face a 10-year wait to access social housing,” Ms Washngton said.
“The Baird Government has privatised the management of the Hunter’s social housing properties and many residents fear the government will sell off their homes next.”
Mr MacDonald said the sell-off was ultimately helping to boost the supply of social housing.
He said the strategy was part of “the biggest building program for social housing in NSW for decades”.
“It makes sense to sell old stock,” he told the Lakes Mail.
“Every dollar from those sales goes straight into building more, brand new social housing homes. In the Hunter, I’m pleased to say that we’ve been the beneficiary of this strategy and 58 brand new homes have been built.”
The new stock includes two houses in Lake Macquarie, and 13 at Swansea.
“The NSW government’s Family and Community Services continually reviews the suitability of the properties it owns to ensure they meet the needs of the social housing system,” Mr MacDonald said.
“FACS may sell properties which have become uneconomical to maintain or repair, properties which no longer align to the demand in the area. All the money raised is used to fund the building of new homes.”