Redfern Social Housing ‘Game-Changer’ Goes Public

A 355-home proposal has been filed for inner Sydney as demand for affordable housing continues to outstrip supply across New South Wales.

Bridge Housing has filed plans for a four-building scheme at 600-660 Elizabeth Street that would offer social, affordable and disability-supportive housing at a scale rarely seen in the inner city.

Bridge Housing chief executive Laurie Leigh said the project was a “beautiful and very significant development” that was years in the making.

“It’s a project Bridge has been working on in the past couple of years since we were successful in obtaining the site,” she said.

Construction is planned to begin later next year before completion in early 2028.

The Redfern development, designed in partnership with Homes NSW, is aimed at those hit hardest by the housing shortage: women and children escaping domestic violence, older women at risk of homelessness, Aboriginal households and essential workers often priced out of the area.

▲ A render of the 355-homes proposal at Redfern.

Leigh said that although the Housing Australia Future Fund was a key source of funding, Bridge Housing was pursuing multiple sources, including local, state and federal government funding, as well as institutional investors and its own capital.

“We’re really looking at a range of sources,” she said, adding that there’s been “a resurgence of interest” in the social and affordable housing sector.

She attributed this interest to the sector’s stable cash flows, making it “something that’s attractive to all of those different types of investors”.

▲ The project features a mix of social, affordable and disability support housing.

Leigh said there was an urgent need for projects of this kind and size.

“Clearly we are in a time where the need for social and affordable housing, as well as the general need for housing, has never been higher,” she said.

“We can see that with the stress on homelessness services and the cost of living for people just trying to make ends meet.”

Leigh said to ensure affordability into the future, rents would be adjusted based on income.

The design of the project has been led by Hayball, Silvester Fuller, Architecture AND and Aspect Studios, and incorporates insights from Redfern’s Aboriginal community.

Yerrabingin, a Sydney-based Indigenous cultural consultancy, facilitated a Designing with Country approach, ensuring the development respects and reflects the area’s cultural heritage.

Calling the project a “first” for a community housing provider acting as the primary developer on a project of this scale, Leigh said the Redfern development would be closely watched and could be replicated in future urban renewal projects within and beyond NSW.

Sustainability was also a focus in the designs, with solar panels planned and a commitment to achieving five-star environmental ratings across all buildings.

▲ The local First Nation community had input into what they would like to see around the project.

The proposal also includes a new community facility to replace the old PCYC and a Bridge Housing head office, allowing the organisation to provide onsite support for residents.

NSW housing and homelessness minister Rose Jackson said the project was a model for collaboration in tackling housing needs.

“Elizabeth Street Redfern is a prime example of how the community housing sector, through organisations like Bridge Housing, are working in partnership with government and the private sector to deliver social and affordable housing at scale and make a swift impact to the state’s housing crisis,” she said.

The plan is open for community feedback until December 4.