The state government asked the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal to undertake an independent review of social and affordable housing rent models. 

Their 27 draft recommendations include:

•Maintaining the contribution made by social housing tenants at 25 per cent of their income.

•Implementing a sustainable funding model for housing providers.

•Reforming the allocation system to better match tenants’ needs and, where possible, preferences for housing with the social housing available. 

•Creating stronger incentives for tenants who can find work and/or private housing.

The report recommends a funding model where tenants continue to pay an income-based rent contribution, and government pays housing providers an explicit subsidy equal to the gap between the tenant contribution and the market rent. 

IPART chair Dr Peter Boxall said there were just over 11,000 households in the Illawarra in social housing, with a waitlist of nearly 4000. 

“So there is an issue in the Illawarra, clearly, of unmet demand,” he said.

“Our report and our recommendations go to, amongst other things, putting the social housing on a more sustainable basis.

“That would definitely benefit the Illawarra.”

Dr Boxall said attendees at a Sydney public forum on Tuesday expressed general support for maintaining the contribution made by social housing tenants at 25 per cent of their income.

“But there was a lot of discussion about what should be included in that income when measuring the rental contribution,” he said.

“We’ve suggested that income which is regular and ongoing should be included, and for people on social security benefits, that means that pensioner supplement and family tax benefits could also be included.”

Public submissions close May 12; visit www.ipart.nsw.gov.au. IPART will provide a final report and recommendations to the Minister for Social Housing in June.