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First sites for modular social housing trial announced by NSW Government
To address the housing affordability and availability crisis in New South Wales, the NSW Government has announced the first sites for a trial of modular social housing. (main pic: Modular housing by Wagga Wagga based Prefabulous.)
Wollongong and Lake Macquarie have been selected as the initial locations for the rollout. Wollongong will receive three modular homes spread across three sites, while Lake Macquarie will get five homes on four sites. The procurement process is already underway, with completion expected by early 2025.
The NSW Government formed the Modular Housing Taskforce last year, and this taskforce, according to a government release was crucial in guiding the project and identifying regulatory barriers to the widespread use of modular housing.
The government is also working with the NSW Building Commission to “set uniform standards for manufactured homes constructed offsite.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns underscored the urgency of the housing issue, stating, “Housing affordability and availability is the single biggest pressure facing the people of New South Wales. We are pulling every lever we can to tackle the housing crisis, and today is an important milestone in our work to utilise nontraditional methods of delivering more homes, sooner rather than later.”
Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson highlighted the project’s importance, saying, “Today marks another significant milestone in our Modular Housing Taskforce Plan as we announce the locations for the first set of modular social homes. These initial sites are a crucial first step towards revolutionising public housing delivery and we anticipate this demonstration project will pave the way for more of these innovative homes to be rolled out in the future. Amid a severe housing crisis, we need to look at every option to get a roof over people’s heads sooner. Leveraging modern construction methods will help us provide sustainable, quality housing faster for the people that need it most.”
Member for Wollongong Paul Scully praised the initiative, commenting, “Modular and modern methods of construction are used to produce award-winning architecturally designed homes in a timely and efficient manner, so it makes sense to trial this approach to construction as part of the Minns Government’s commitment to build more social housing. I welcome not only the use of new and innovative methods of construction that are used the world over to trial them to build more social housing in Wollongong – it is a sensible use of new technology to try and solve a long-term housing waiting list.”
Despite these efforts, a recent report by Oxford Economics Australia warns that more than one in five of the 1.2 million dwellings Australia aims to build over the next five years may not be completed, highlighting the ongoing challenges in addressing the nation’s housing shortages.
