Independent mayoral candidate and Wiradjuri woman Yvonne Weldon said the City of Sydney needed to urgently investigate which council-owned or controlled properties could be re-purposed for affordable or emergency accommodation.
“The City of Sydney talks big,but delivers pitifully small with respect to affordable housing. After 17 long years,it is undeniable the City of Sydney has lost its way,” she said.
“I know the answer to every problem is not simply throwing more money at it,but good administration is as important as good policy.”
Greens candidate Sylvie Ellsmore also demanded the council play a much larger role in housing affordability initiatives,citing her party’s “costed plan” that would result in 2000 affordable housing homes,including council-owned public housing houses,protected or built in the next term.
“We’re talking about direct investment ... not through grants but through public ownership,” said Ms Ellsmore,who spoke via videolink as she awaited a COVID-19 test result.
Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore,who is seeking an historic fifth term,defended the council’s record,insisting its work to enhance community facilities and the public domain had resulted in people moving into the inner-city area.