HOUSING SA

In reply to the Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (5 March 2009).

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy): The Minister for Housing has advised:

Housing SA provides a diverse range of accommodation solutions across the housing sector for South Australians. Housing SA aims to ensure housing applicants can easily access services through one point of contact, and are able to access accommodation and support when they need it most.

Housing SA is allocating significant new resources to the non-government housing sector. This is consistent with the Commonwealth Government's policy to develop the size and capacity of the not-for-profit housing provider sector through a range of initiatives. Along with increasing the availability of affordable housing, one of the key aims of this reform process is the growth of the not-for-profit housing sector.

Through the Commonwealth Government's stimulus package, South Australia will receive approximately $455 million, for an additional 1,500 new rental properties for people with high needs. 75 percent of these properties will be allocated to the not-for-profit sector.

South Australia will also receive an additional 3,800 new affordable rental properties through the National Rental Affordability Scheme. This is a partnership program, again with not-for-profit housing providers, using leverage and private funding together with Commonwealth and State financial contributions, to obtain a higher number of housing outcomes for the people of South Australia.

In addition, the South Australian Government established the Affordable Housing Innovations Fund in 2006. The Fund also focuses on the not-for-profit sector, developing flexible partnership arrangements with non-government housing providers to create affordable housing. To date the Affordable Housing Innovations Fund has resulted in 15 signed agreements with not-for-profit housing organisations and 82 new properties on the ground for high needs and low income groups in our community. There are 28 projects and a total of 443 new properties in the pipeline through this fund.

In time, through this array of programs and initiatives, we will see the development of a more diverse social housing system. Non-government housing is currently approximately 10 per cent of social housing, and Housing SA aims to increase this to approximately 15 per cent through the Stimulus Package and the other Commonwealth and State funded growth programs that are currently being introduced.