Proposed new apartment block at Penrith station a litmus test for solving the housing crisis

A new residential apartment block with two rooftop pools that will dedicate up to a quarter of its units to affordable housing is being praised as the litmus test to solve NSW’s housing woes.

A new residential apartment block with two rooftop pools next to Penrith Station that will dedicate up to a quarter of its units to affordable housing is being hailed as the litmus test for solving the housing crisis.

Mayfair, the proposed new Urban Property block in Penrith, already has development approval for 10 storeys and 286 apartments.

Under the NSW Government’s affordable housing incentive strategy, a new application next year will seek to increase that by four storeys and 145 apartments.

Julie Bindon, from the Urban Property Group’s advisory board, said at least half of the extra apartments — and potentially all of them — would be dedicated to affordable housing for key and frontline workers.

“We are proof that government policy on affordable housing is working,” Ms Bindon said. “In the past, affordable housing has been in tiny amounts with one or two here or there, but this is delivering extra housing on an enormous scale.”

An artist’s impression of the proposed Urban Property apartment block at Penrith Station. Picture: Supplied

Lyle Gorman, chief executive of community housing provider company Evolve Housing, applauded the partnership that would put up to 100 key workers and their families into new homes.

“This is a fantastic, quality development that will provide essential workers the opportunity to live affordably in the areas where they work,” he said. “It is exactly the kind of development we need to tackle the housing crisis.”

Up to a quarter of the apartments in the development will be earmarked for affordable housing. Picture: Supplied

Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest said the new development was also the perfect test of government policy to fast-track major developments.

Renders of the proposed Urban Property apartment block at Penrith. Picture: Supplied

“The Urban Property Group’s new proposal that adds height to their building next to Penrith Station while also delivering substantial additional affordable housing may well be an early test for the new Housing Delivery Authority. It appears to tick all the boxes,” he said.

“It would be ideal if council backed these types of positive initiatives, but the HDA may well prove to be an important pressure relief valve when obstacles are put in the way by local government.”

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