New South Wales Consolidated Acts

HOUSING ACT 2001 - SECT 5

5 Objects of Act

(cf Act No 163, 1985, s 4, Act No 15, 1993, s 4)

(1) The objects of this Act are as follows:

(a) to maximise the opportunities for all people in New South Wales to have access to secure, appropriate and affordable housing,

(b) to ensure that housing opportunities and assistance are available to all sections of the community with housing needs,

(c) to ensure that public housing is developed as a viable and diversified form of housing choice,

(d) to ensure that public housing and community housing reflects the housing standards of the general community and is designed to cater for the ongoing needs of consumers,

(e) to maximise the opportunities for tenants of public and community housing programs to participate in the management of their housing and in the development of public and community housing policies,

(f) to ensure that the public housing system focuses on housing people who are most in need,

(f1) to ensure that the available supply of public housing is shared equitably among people who are most in need,

(g) to promote equity between levels of assistance provided to people living in public housing, community housing, private rental housing and those who own or are purchasing their homes,

(h) to maintain an efficient housing administration to ensure the effective co-ordination and provision of all housing services,

(i) to encourage social mix and the integration of different housing forms in existing and new communities,

(j) to ensure that registered community housing is developed as a viable and diversified component of the New South Wales social housing sector,

(k) to support the provision of registered community housing for people on a very low, low or moderate income,

(l) to facilitate the provision of assistance to home purchasers on low to moderate incomes,

(m) to provide for the management of such existing and future home purchase assistance schemes (including the portfolio of loans under HomeFund schemes) as the Minister directs,

(n) to provide for the funding of such other rental and home purchase assistance schemes as the Minister directs,

(o) to encourage the development of flexible and innovative financial arrangements to facilitate access to home ownership for persons in receipt of low and moderate incomes,

(p) to ensure appropriate mechanisms and forums are established to allow input into housing policy by representative community organisations and non-government agencies involved in housing policy and provision,

(q) to attract investment in public housing, including related activities such as tenant employment and the provision of integrated services,

(r) to enable the provision under this Act of corporate, technical and information technology services, in or outside New South Wales, to government and non-government agencies.

(2) In the administration of this Act, regard is to be had to the objects of this Act to the maximum extent possible taking into consideration the needs of the State and available resources, and subject to any directions of the Minister.