PART ONE - Fishers Ghost

ConclusionState Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable Rental Housing) 2009 commencedon 31 July 2009 and provides new opportunities and incentives for the public andprivate sectors to supply low cost rental housing in a variety of housing forms such asgranny flats, boarding houses and group homes.Council’s assessment of housing Stress in Campbelltown has confirmed a moderateto high need for affordable housing stock in Campbelltown, which is likely to beaddressed (in part) with the commencement of the Affordable Housing SEPP.However, the content of the SEPP has been reviewed, and it is considered likely thatthere will be both potential concerns and benefits with respect to the operation andimpacts of the Policy in facilitating the supply of affordable housing. These aresummarised as follows:Concerns(i) Reduction in local planning control by over-riding Council planning provisionswhere they are inconsistent with the SEPP;(ii) The SEPP relies upon density bonus incentives for developers which mayimpact upon residential amenity;(iii) There is no mandate for affordable housing to be provided by the privatesector;(iv) Increased densities may lead to a reduction in amenity and increase potentialfor community conflict;(v) Affordable housing provided under the Policy will be lost after 10 years when itis available to be disposed of to market without restriction;(vi) There may be impacts upon other incentives for the provision of affordablehousing that do not involve increased densities;(vii) Any residential development on land owned by the Land and HousingCorporation is taken to be for the purposes of affordable housing under thePolicy, whether it is affordable housing or not;(viii) Affordable housing is exempt from S94A contributions, which would mean areduction in revenue collected by Council for spending under this Plan. (S94contribution plans are not affected).Benefits(i) Provides the mechanism for an effective redistribution of affordable housing inurban areas;(ii) Increased involvement of the private sector (and not for profit organisations) inthe affordable housing sector;(iii) Creates the framework for smaller and more manageable affordable housingalternatives including boarding houses and group homes;(iv) Increases stock of affordable rental housing for low to moderate incomeearners (students, newly arrived migrants, couples with only one wage);(v) May stimulate development activity by making projects viable in unfavourablemarket conditions;(vi) Straight forward approvals process for ‘granny flats’, and associated socialbenefits relating to family networks;(vii) Increases viability of community housing organisations by mandating theirinvolvement in managing all stock created under the SEPP.