Unexpected Alliance Forms to Tackle Housing Affordability Crisis in Surry Hills

An unexpected alliance of major businesses, unions, and university leaders has come together to address the housing affordability crisis in Surry Hills.

The newly-formed group, Housing Now, unveiled a manifesto on Monday in Surry Hills with seven key demands aimed at helping New South Wales reach its ambitious goal of constructing 375,000 homes over the next five years.

Their proposals include the adoption of a “pattern book” approach to streamline planning and pre-approve certain housing designs for use across Sydney.

The Housing Now Coalition

Housing Now brings together a diverse coalition, including Business NSW, the state’s prominent business advocacy group, the Health Services Union (HSU), the Shoppies (Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association), the NSW Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, Sydney YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard), and the Committee for Sydney think tank. The union’s involvement, particularly the HSU, highlights the dire impact of the housing crisis on essential workers like nurses, who can no longer afford to live near their workplaces.

HSU Secretary Gerard Hayes emphasized the connection between the housing and health crises.

“This is as much a health crisis as it’s a housing crisis,” Mr Hayes said. He cited the detrimental effects of healthcare workers’ housing struggles on patient care and staff shortages.

Building 30 More Surry Hills

The central focus of Housing Now’s manifesto is a call to transform 30 suburbs into inner-city Surry Hills equivalents by increasing housing density and constructing medium-rise apartment buildings. Surry Hills was chosen as a blueprint because it currently hosts approximately 10,000 homes, featuring tightly packed terraces and low-rise apartment blocks—housing models that the coalition aims to replicate in other areas.

The coalition is advocating a return to the past with the concept of a “design pattern book.” This approach would bring architects and communities together to pre-approve a range of designs for townhouses, terraces, and low-rise apartments. These pre-approved designs could then be implemented across Sydney without requiring extensive additional consultations.

In addition to the pattern book idea, Housing Now is pushing for several other reforms to alleviate the housing crisis, including:

Clearing a backlog of planning proposals.
Prioritizing and expediting land rezonings near transport corridors using a template approach.
Increasing affordable housing options.
Providing incentives for councils to surpass their housing targets.
Reforming the planning system to facilitate faster approvals.

Voices from the Frontline

Kascha Chin-Potter, a 26-year-old Sydneysider who rents a 1.5-bedroom apartment, shared her experiences of the challenging housing market. She emphasized the urgency of finding solutions, given the desperate situation many people face. Chin-Potter’s mother, in her mid-50s, is currently sharing housing with a friend because she can’t afford a place on her own.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns expressed openness to Housing Now’s pattern-book proposal. He acknowledged the need for challenging conversations with communities to address the housing crisis effectively. The government is expected to announce new housing targets and plans for transit-oriented developments, especially near metro stations, in the near future.

Barney Glover, convenor of the NSW Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, underscored the importance of evidence-based policy and industry partnerships to address the housing crisis effectively.

Experts have noted that pattern books have been used since ancient times and have contributed to iconic housing designs in Sydney, such as Georgian-era terraces and art deco apartments. However, they emphasized the need for flexibility in design to accommodate varying local conditions.

Published 12-Sept-2023