Sydney, 5-6 June 2025

Against a backdrop of escalating housing pressures, the Community Housing 2025 conference brought together government leaders, sector experts and community housing providers to focus on one of New South Wales’ most pressing issues –  the urgent need for more social and affordable housing.

Presented by the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) NSW, the two-day event featured keynote addresses from the Hon Chris Minns MP, Premier of New South Wales, and the Hon Rose Jackson MLC, Minister for Water, Housing, Homelessness, Mental Health and Youth. Both leaders acknowledged the critical state of housing in NSW and called for greater collaboration between government and the community housing sector.

In a candid and impassioned address, Premier Minns described the housing crisis as “An economic failure, a social failure, and a moral failure,”

Quoting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), he highlighted how housing shortages are now actively undermining Australia’s living standards and threatening the fabric of communities.

“A city without young people is by definition a city without a future,” he says, pointing to the rising number of young people leaving Australian cities due to unaffordable rents and home prices.

He reaffirmed the NSW Government’s record $5.1 billion commitment to restarting social housing development, which includes the delivery of 8400 new social homes.

“If any government wants to say it is serious about housing, they need to support private investment, build homes directly, and make life easier for renters,” says Minns.

“Half of these homes we are committed to developing will be prioritised for women and children fleeing domestic violence, alongside essential upgrades to existing properties. We believe this will save lives.”

In her Ministerial Address, Minister Jackson outlined the government’s commitment to reform, highlighting a strong focus on practical solutions and meaningful partnerships with the community housing sector.

“Unless we can confront what is happening with access to housing in New South Wales, the future prosperity of our state is in question,” says Jackson.

“People are working harder than ever, two, three jobs, and yet they still cannot access a fair go.”

Minister Jackson  highlighted the establishment of Homes NSW as a major structural reform, aimed at simplifying engagement with the community housing sector and enabling more responsive funding delivery. She also noted the government’s record $6.6 billion investment in social and affordable housing, and praised the leadership shown by community housing providers in tenant engagement, climate resilience and long term housing stability.

“We do not want bureaucratic box ticking to stand in the way of your mission and our mission, building more social housing. Partnership is not just a word. It is the way we work,” says Jackson.

Home in Place was proud to be part of the conference, participating in sector wide discussions, workshops and networking that explored practical ways forward. Michael Nolan, Project Manager of Property Development and Acquisition at Home in Place, contributed to a high-profile panel session titled Scaling Investment in Social and Affordable Housing.

The panel included Rebecca Oelkers from Brisbane Housing Company, Brett Manwaring from Evolve Housing, Nathan Dal Bon from CHC Australia, and Ryan Slocombe from Tetris Capital. Together, they discussed the investment frameworks, partnerships and policy tools needed to expand the housing pipeline and attract sustained funding.

Throughout the conference, the message from government leaders was clear. Solving the housing crisis will take coordinated and urgent action across sectors, and community housing providers are central to the solution.

“We are so incredibly lucky,” says Jackson. “The NSW community housing sector is our secret sauce. It is our advantage. And we cannot do this without each other.”

Home in Place remains committed to working alongside government and sector partners to ensure that all Australians, no matter their income or circumstances, have a place to call home.