City of Ryde

The City of Ryde has undertaken significant work to date on affordable housing through the development of an Affordable Housing Policy 2016 – 2031 with three main goals identified to achieve by 2031. The purpose of this Study was to build on the work undertaken by Council to date, and provide further affordable housing policy insight and economic modelling capability to enable the City of Ryde to attain its affordable housing delivery targets.

Council also wished to prepare a Planning Proposal to amend the Ryde Local Environmental Plan 2014 (LEP) to include an affordable housing target and provisions. An evidence based study was crucial to calculating and justifying the contribution amounts and delivery mechanisms available to Council and developers.

Our value add

HillPDA’s Study provided recommendations on:

• Contribution rate(s) for inclusionary zoning provisions (requiring a percentage of development where the site is rezoned or higher density controls are sought)
• Contribution rate(s) for all new development applications for new residential and mixed use developments where the development applications are permissible under the Ryde Local Environmental Plan 2014
• Voluntary Planning Agreements – where changes to the planning controls are negotiated in exchange for the provision of affordable housing.

In addition, the Study outlined the contribution tools developed by HillPDA to calculate affordable housing contributions using two contribution mechanisms:

1. A dwelling in-kind contribution and
2. A monetary contribution.

Outcome

The outcomes and recommendations from this Study provided the evidence to allow Council to make a formal application to the Department of Planning and Environment for the implementation of affordable housing planning provisions. Importantly, the proposed draft provisions are based on a robust feasibility analysis to demonstrate that the contribution rates can achieve the affordable housing objectives without unacceptable impacts on development feasibility.

HillPDA undertook research with key stakeholders from the development sector, the housing sector (CHPs, FACS, LAHC and peak bodies) and other government agencies such as the Department of Planning and Environment and the Greater Sydney Commission.

Services:

• Policy review
• Development feasibility analysis
• Market research & appraisal
• Financial modelling & audit

Client: City of Ryde
Project date: 2017

For more information, contact Adrian Hack, Principal