Few issues generate as much passion as the future of the public housing estate in Sydney’s Waterloo South. That is understandable.
Over the next 10-15 years, hundreds of people living at Waterloo, a number of whom have lived there for decades, will be asked to leave their existing homes.
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Whilst many of those disrupted will be able to move directly to a new home nearby or within the renewed area (and everyone will be provided with the right to return), there will be uncertainty and disruption, which needs to be managed respectfully and with care.
The impact of that change can’t be underestimated. We’re not talking about a small change – we’re talking about a systemic shift in the lives of generations of local residents.
There’s no question that Waterloo’s residents should be treated with the utmost empathy and support. But it’s also important that the facts aren’t lost in this discussion.
Waterloo is one of Australia’s largest and most significant social housing renewal projects. It will deliver more social housing than exists today, introduce hundreds of affordable homes, and replace ageing buildings that are no longer fit for purpose, with high-quality modern homes.
Some of the strongest debate about Waterloo relates to fears that public housing is being privatised. Those concerns deserve to be addressed directly.
Waterloo South is the first stage of the renewal project. Once complete, it will feature over 1000 new social housing homes which will remain in public ownership – a significant increase. The NSW government will continue to own these new homes and is working with the Waterloo Partnership to deliver the project.
The Waterloo Partnership is a consortium led by Stockland, which will lead the design, planning and construction of Waterloo South. It also includes three not-for-profit community housing providers – Link Wentworth, Birribee Housing, and City West Housing, who will manage the new social and affordable homes and provide wrap-around support coordination services for residents.
Community housing providers (CHPs) are not-for-profit organisations with a single purpose: providing long-term social and affordable rental housing.
Many CHPs have provided high-quality homes and services to the communities they serve for over 40 years. They do not pay dividends to shareholders, and any surplus they make is reinvested into more homes, better services and stronger communities.
They are accountable to government, governed by professional, skills-based boards, subject to strict national regulation and performance standards, and work closely with Homes NSW to deliver public policy outcomes.
Calling this “privatisation” fundamentally misrepresents what community housing is.
Whether a social home is managed by Homes NSW or a CHP, it remains social housing. Residents continue to receive subsidised rents, strong tenancy protections and access to support services. What changes is the management model—not the purpose of the housing.
Another common perception surrounding Waterloo is that the project is simply replacing public housing with expensive apartments.
Again, the facts tell a different story.
Waterloo South currently has around 750 ageing social housing dwellings. The renewal project will create more than 1000 new social homes and over 600 affordable homes for key workers and lower-income households.
Affordable housing is not luxury housing.
It is designed for people who earn too much to qualify for social housing but too little to compete comfortably in Sydney’s private rental market. Early-career teachers, nurses, hospitality workers, disability support workers and many others rely on affordable housing to remain close to their jobs and communities.
Whilst market housing will be built at Waterloo, the end goal is positive: a net gain of social and affordable housing in the midst of an unprecedented housing crisis.
Of course, the most difficult aspect of the renewal – and indeed any renewal project – is the impact for existing residents.
Being required to leave a long-term home is deeply personal. Even when people are being supported to move to another social housing property nearby – and have the right to return to Waterloo in future – the disruption to people’s lives and sense of community can’t be understated.
It is absolutely right that government, delivery partners and the broader community recognise and meet that reality with empathy and practical support.
The disruption is unavoidable, but it should not be an argument against renewal. It is an argument to do it well, so that generations of Sydneysiders have the opportunity to have a high-quality, fit-for-purpose place to call home in the years to come.
Renewal is never simply about replacing bricks and mortar.
It is about creating accessible and sustainable homes, safer streets, better public spaces, better transport connections, and vibrant neighbourhoods where people from all walks of life can live side by side.
We need to continue to move with urgency and purpose. More than 70,000 households are currently on the NSW social housing waiting list – the highest it’s ever been.
There are thousands of families, women, people escaping domestic and family violence, and people living with a disability or long-term illness on the social housing waiting list who have no home in Waterloo – or anywhere else.
The question is not whether Waterloo should change, but whether renewal can deliver more homes while treating existing residents with the respect, support and dignity they deserve.
This requires experienced community housing providers that understand how to support people through change. The Waterloo CHP partners bring decades of experience delivering social and affordable housing in Sydney, supporting residents through major transitions, and creating communities where people can thrive.
By working alongside residents, government and community stakeholders, the Waterloo Partnership can help deliver more homes while preserving the sense of belonging and community that residents value.
The people of Waterloo deserve compassion – as do the hundreds of thousands of people still waiting for a place to call home.
