From modest beginnings, the community housing sector grows to nearly 3,000 homes by the end of the 80s.
1,000 boarding houses are demolished in Sydney, leading to increased homelessness
Mike Allen joins the Housing Commission as a Grade A Clerk. He will become Link Wentworth Chair in 2021

During the 1980’s, the Housing Commission built over 35,000 new homes.

Frank Walker appointed New South Wales Minister for Housing

Community Tenancy Scheme created, establishing Community Housing Providers

58 organisations, managing 2,400 households
“Applicants for the scheme are mostly sole parents, pensioners and low-income families”
Terri Williamson
Founding head of Community Housing
Lower North Shore
At the start of the scheme, the average weekly wage in Australia was $369. For CTS tenants it was $121. They paid weekly rent of $46, or 39% Rent to Income %.
During the 1980’s, more than 1,000 boarding houses are demolished on the North Shore. This leads to a homeless camp growing under the Harbour Bridge.

1984

In 1984, there are approximately 102,000 social housing Properties Under Management for a population of 5.5 million in NSW

In 1984, the CTS is brought under the newly established ‘Department of Housing’. It positions the CTS as “as a temporary, transitional program for people waiting for public housing”, serving low-income families and pensioners.

CTS ORGANISATIONS ESTABLISHED IN 1983-86

  • 1983 - Manly Warringah Accommodation Resources Co-Operative Ltd
  • 1983 - Lithgow Community Tenancy Scheme
  • 22 February 1984 - Penrith Accommodation Co-Operative Ltd
  • 13 July 1984 - Ku-ring-gai Hornsby Community Housing Association
  • 25 September 1984 - Ryde - Hunters Hill Community Housing Co-Operative Ltd
  • 31 May 1985 - The Hawkesbury Co-Operative Society Ltd
  • 16 April 1986 - Lower North Shore Community Housing Association
  • 30 April 1986 - Blue Mountains Community Housing Trust

Tenant participation was fundamental to the Community Tenancy Scheme:

The first three objectives of the Community Tenancy Scheme were: 

  1. To provide secure, affordable housing to low income single people and family units.

2. To manage housing stock at the local level through community based organisations or local government.

3. To involve tenants in the management of individual schemes and CTS as a whole. 

Rezoning released new tracts of land for social housing in South Penrith, Mt Druitt, Bossley Park and Kingswood.

These townhouses in Meadowbank were some of the first properties to be transferred to Ryde-Hunters Hill Community Housing Co-op in 1985.

McKye Street, Waverton was one of the first two properties managed by Lower North Shore Community Housing Association

Dozens sleep under the Harbour Bridge at Kirribilli

In 1988, the Housing Commission estimates “more than 20,000 households are homeless or living in sub-standard or unsuitable private rental accomodation.”

“I started with the Housing Commission in the late 70’s, when the predominant housing format was cottages. Today, we do so much more than that.”

Mike Allen