21 January 2025
PWDA welcomed the opportunity to respond to the Homes NSW draft NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2034.
PWDA co-chairs the Building Better Homes Campaign with the Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDCN) where we call on all States and Territories in Australia to adopt the National Construction Code (NCC) for all new dwellings, which includes the mandatory Livable Housing Design Silver Standard.
This standard provides a minimum level of accessibility for people with disability, reducing the need for expensive modifications to enable access.
In previous submissions we have also called for housing for essential workers to be built to NCC standards and for the definition of 'Essential Worker' to be widened to include disability, aged care, child care and social services workers, all of whom are paid less than nurses, paramedics, teachers, allied health care workers, police officers and fire fighters- the government's original eligibility list.
We have also called for all homes built in Transport Oriented Design precincts to meet NCC standards and for 50% of them to be allocated to become affordable housing, with rent set at no more than 30% of a person's income.
Reviewing the draft NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2034, the consultation paper and background documents, our submission addressed the questions posed.
