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Social Housing Renewal

Through its social housing renewal initiatives Renewal SA delivered increased housing affordability and sustainability, and generated housing stock that is better suited to address the needs of current and future social housing tenants.

Renewal SA's roleRenewing Our Streets and SuburbsBetter Neighbourhoods ProgramOne Thousand Homes in 1000 Days
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Renewal SA's role

Working with private industry, not-for-profits and other government departments our social housing initiatives resulted in thousands of aged South Australian Housing Trust homes being replaced and refurbished, while generating more affordable housing through new build infill projects.

In December 2014, the state government charged Renewal SA with renewing the suburbs built by the South Australian Housing Trust.

This was achieved through several initiatives including:

  • Renewing Our Streets and Suburbs (ROSAS)
  • One Thousand Homes in 1000 Days
  • Better Neighbourhoods Program (BNP)

Responsibility for SA Housing Trust dwellings is now the domain of the South Australian Housing Authority.

For more information on social housing in South Australia, please visit SA.gov.au

Social housing resources

Renewing Our Streets and Suburbs

Renewing Our Streets and Suburbs involved renewing aged South Australian Housing Trust dwellings to create better quality social housing, increase housing choice and affordability, and enhance the liveability of South Australia.

The ROSAS development program aimed to renew all pre-1968 SA Housing Trust homes within 10 kilometres of the Adelaide CBD by 2020, with further renewal scheduled for the broader metropolitan area.

The program of renewal ranged from renovations to complete redevelopments, and included the relocation of tenants, as well as the transfer of SA Housing Trust tenant and property management to community housing providers.

The initiative resulted in new and more suitable housing for SA Housing Trust tenants, and offered greater initiated tenant engagement and support during relocation and transfer.

For South Australians home buyers a requirement for 15% Affordable Housing to be included in each renewal project improved the accessibility of home ownership.

For industry, the ROSAS initiative created opportunities to partner with state government on development projects, creating more work for builders and trades, and generating new jobs and stimulating the economy.

Urban and neighbourhood renewal projects

Better Neighbourhoods Program

The Better Neighbourhoods Program (BNP) used a model in which aged properties are demolished and the vacant land is subdivided into smaller allotments.

New homes are built and vacant allotments sold are on the open market to cover the costs of the program, which remains cash neutral by identifying the most suitable sites to deliver the best outcomes.

The Better Neighbourhoods Program has been successful in improving suburbs and creating better integrated and more sustainable living environments.

It has upgraded streets and neighbourhoods at minimal cost and provided opportunities for affordable home ownership in sought-after locations.

The Better Neighbourhoods Program has reduced the impact of relocations from future development areas by placing tenants in new, better matched housing, and has created affordable housing opportunities for private sale as either affordable land or homes to cater for first home owners.

In addition, the introduction of private ownership alongside newly developed social housing opportunities in areas originally with high levels of social housing concentrations has helped with the destigmatisation of some suburbs through significant dilution of public housing concentrations in those areas.

One Thousand Homes in 1000 Days

The 1000 Homes in 1000 Days initiative was aimed at stimulating and generating confidence in the housing construction sector, supporting local job creation and improving outcomes for South Australian Housing Trust tenants.

All builds under the program have been contracted, with 650 homes completed and another 320 under construction.

By the end of June 2019, the building of these new homes will have generated approximately 900 new employment opportunities for South Australians and less than 30 houses will remain to be completed.

More than 500 of the new houses have been built in greater Adelaide, for example Mount Barker and Murray Bridge, and in regional locations including Naracoorte, Goolwa and the Barossa Valley, supporting jobs and delivering an economic boost to both metropolitan and regional areas.

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