North Parramatta: Social housing planned for Irving St, Collett Pde, Pennant St

A $32m unit complex has been promised for western Sydney – a region suffering some of the worst wait list times for affordable housing in NSW. See what’s planned.

A concept design for a social housing block at Irving St, North Parramatta.

A $32 million social housing complex is planned for North Parramatta to provide build-to-rent social and affordable housing for women fleeing domestic violence, students and key workers.

The National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) has backed the development set to transform vacant sites on Irving St and Collett Pde when construction starts early next year.

It is one of the first projects announced in the state following the federal government’s widening of the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, which the NHFIC oversees, to include funding for new social and affordable housing.

The successful community housing providers will be required to deliver 65 dwellings – comprising a minimum of 40 per cent social, 40 per cent affordable and 20 per cent “other diverse” rental housing.

Social tenants will be drawn from the public housing wait list and women over 55 will be a key focus.

An artist's impression of the $32m social housing units at North Parramatta, planned for Irving St and Collett Pde.

The preferred community housing provider is expected to be announced in the first half of 2024.

Construction is slated to start on two of the three North Parramatta sites this year.

Parramatta state Labor MP Donna Davis said building on the third site at Pennant St would begin after development approval.

“Affordable rentals are critical to provide safe housing for our community and I’m so glad that Parramatta will be one of the first places for this type of innovative partnership drawing on the expertise of the community housing sector and vital Commonwealth funding,’’ she said.

NHFIC chief executive Nathan Dal Bon said the organisation would continue to partner with states and territories to provide additional financial aid and fast-track projects in critical areas.

“NHFIC’s financing will accelerate the delivery of housing where it is needed most and provide better housing outcomes for women at risk of domestic violence and key workers facing rental stress in western Sydney,’’ he said.

Lack of affordable housing has prompted many people to sleep rough at Parramatta train station.

In February, a Confront the Crisis forum at Parramatta heard how western Sydney had some of the state’s worst social housing wait list figures – about one third of the NSW list is in the region.

There were 18,377 individuals and families on the social housing wait list in western Sydney. Many were in the queue in areas with wait times of more than 10 years.

There are 57,750 individuals and families on the NSW list – which recorded a 15 per cent rise from June last year to February.

In November, the federal government announced the widening of the Housing Infrastructure Facility program, making up to $575m available to invest in new social and affordable housing projects in addition to financing infrastructure for building.

The NHFIC, a federal entity, was established in 2018 and aims to deliver 40,000 new social and affordable homes over five years from 2024.