Supply Innovation

Pacific Link Housing is committed to planning and developing housing and housing models that are efficient, responsive and affordable for those in need. Using regional research to inform decision making, we work with government and others to:

Develop and invest in appropriate solutions
Collaborate with Government
Liaise with local authorities
Build, deliver and maintain properties
Provide long-term tenant management and tenant support programs as required.

Focusing on the need for smaller, more affordable homes, we aim to make best use of existing, underutilised sites in the same way private developers and homeowners do to increase housing density.

Redevelopment

With average occupancy rates for all homes across the Central Cast and Lower Hunter now at 2.2 people per home, many older community and social housing properties which feature a single home on a large suburban block are now underutilised.

In a benchmark Gosford project, Housing NSW has recently redeveloped two adjoining properties, each of which formerly provided a single home. An outstanding project by Housing NSW, it now provides 18 homes in a brand new, townhouse style development for tenants seeking smaller units – a number of which are pre-constructed to function as disabled-living units if required.

Pacific Link has management of the new site, which provides high quality housing in keeping with other developments sharing the local streetscape.

2+1 Initiative

Pacific Link Housing has developed and presented an innovative plan to increase supply – at no additional cost to government – by adding secondary dwellings or ‘granny flats’ to half the properties in a group already owned by the NSW Government.

Detailed costings show that Pacific Link Housing will be able to add 100 secondary dwellings in return for the right to manage 200 properties for 30 years. The additional properties will be developed by Pacific Link in the first three years and be fully paid for by Pacific Link in 10 years.

Under the proposal, the State Government would retain ownership of the 200 original properties and the additional 100 secondary dwellings built by Pacific Link – adding to the value of the Government’s housing assets.

If accepted, the ‘2 + 1’ plan – as it’s known – could be rolled out in other regions to increase housing supply and the value of the NSW Government’s housing assets at no cost to the State’s public purse.

Studio Apartments

In May 2014 Pacific Link entered into a partnership agreement with Sydney-based not-for-profit, Evolve Housing, to share skills and opportunities across our combined regions.

The joint venture partnership successfully tendered for NSW Government grants to develop three small sets of studio apartments – with Pacific Link and Evolve Housing investing equity on top of similar Government grants to improve development outcomes.

The studio apartments will be developed and managed by Evolve Housing and Pacific Link to provide urgently needed affordable, community and social housing in Western Sydney, and the Central Coast regions.

On completion, Pacific Link and Evolve Housing will take joint responsibility for tenanting and managing the apartments – providing the full range of tenant support services now available to tenants of the 3,700 properties they currently manage between them.

Cessnock Units

Pacific Link Housing developed four units to meet the needs of disabled and elderly residents in the Cessnock area. The units are located in residential area of existing multiple dwellings. They were completed in 2016.