The initiative aims to provide affordable rental options for essential workers in areas closer to their workplaces
Ahead of the New South Wales government budget announcement tonight, the Minns Labor government has committed $450 million to construct new apartments for essential workers.
The initiative aims to provide affordable rental options for nurses, paramedics, teachers, allied health care workers, police officers, and firefighters in areas closer to their workplaces.
The NSW government, through its residential development arm Landcom, plans to acquire up to four new sites to develop over 400 build-to-rent dwellings within the next three years. Landcom will prioritise surplus government land deemed suitable for housing, with specific locations to be determined.
The new housing initiative aims to address the difficulties essential workers face in affording homes near their workplaces, exacerbated by the current housing market. Many young workers are relocating from Sydney to more affordable areas, seeking to live and work within the same community.
“Housing affordability and availability is the biggest single pressure facing the people of NSW, with mortgage payments or rent the largest expense for most households, particularly for essential workers,” said Chris Minns (pictured above), premier of New South Wales.
“NSW would grind to a halt without nurses, paramedics, teachers, police officers and firefighters, but many can’t afford a place to live in Sydney, close to where they work. This has to change.
“We’re pulling every leaver we have to tackle the housing crisis and one of the best ways to make rentals more affordable is to build more homes.”
The funding boost will enhance Landcom’s existing Build to Rent programs on the north and south coasts, providing accessible rental accommodation for essential workers. The government will retain ownership of the housing, with rental income potentially funding future expansions of the key worker housing program.
Detailed planning work will commence soon, with construction on the first site expected to begin in early 2026, with essential workers expected to be able to move in from late 2027. Eligibility criteria, application details, and rental subsidy information will be available closer to the completion date.
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