What is Affordable housing?

Affordable housing is about having a range of housing options people can afford without causing them difficulty in purchasing other necessities. A common measure is not having to spend more than 30% of a person’s income per week.

Affordable housing can take any form, including single dwelling houses, granny flats, units, boarding houses, shared accommodation or social housing. 

What is Council doing about housing affordability?

Council’s Affordable Housing Policy proposes working more closely with the State and Federal government to find solutions, waive section 94A development contributions for any part of a development proposal with affordable rental housing and to establish clear targets for affordable housing.

Local Strategic Planning Statement

Councils Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS), contains a number of principles and actions in relation to social and affordable housing, including seeking a minimum of 10 per cent affordable rental housing to be included in new planning proposals, consistent with Council’s existing Affordable Housing Policy.

Local Housing Strategy

In December 2021, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure endorsed Council’s Local Housing Strategy (LHS), which specifically considers population growth trends to 2036 and details how and where housing is to be delivered. 

The LHS adopted a target of 1,884 social and affordable dwellings (the expected additional demand to 2036), and to prepare an affordable housing action plan to consider additional measures to help Council achieve the target.

Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme

Council’s Affordable Housing Contributions Scheme was endorsed by the Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure in April 2022 as the primary mechanism for Council to levy for affordable housing through its Local Environmental Plans, either as complete dwellings or as an equivalent monetary contribution, as a condition of development consent. 

The Affordable Housing Contributions Scheme only applies to land which has been subject to a rezoning to permit increased development potential. 

The Scheme currently applies to the rezoned Frenchs Forest Precinct, 1294-1399 Pittwater Road and 2-4 Albert Street, Narrabeen and 159-167 Darley Street, Mona Vale.

Council’s Affordable Housing Contributions Scheme, endorsed by the Department of Planning in April 2022, enables Council to secure affordable housing through Local Environmental Plans, either as dwellings or equivalent monetary contributions.

Where it applies

• Land rezoned for increased development potential.
• Currently: Frenchs Forest Precinct, 1294–1399 Pittwater Rd, 2–4 Albert St (Narrabeen) and 159–167 Darley St (Mona Vale).

Contribution rates are updated annually (1 March) with reference to movements in the median strata dwelling price in the Northern Beaches LGA

Recent changes (18 November 2025)

Council endorsed a new planning proposal for amendments to the scheme, including:

• 3% contribution for Development Applications (DAs) for residential development (excluding dwelling houses and secondary dwellings) within the 9 town centres under NSW Low & Mid Rise Housing Policy
• 2% contribution for DAs for higher-density residential development (e.g. residential flat buildings, multi-dwelling housing and shop top housing), across the Northern Beaches (starts 2 years after proposal finalisation).
• Frenchs Forest contribution adjusted from 10% to 3% for privately owned land.

Next steps

Proposed amendments have been submitted to the State Government and will be publicly exhibited in early 2026.

Affordable Housing Tenancy Guidelines

The Tenancy Guidelines provide further information outlining how affordable housing properties that Council may receive under the Scheme are allocated and managed. It also sets out criteria for eligibility, rent, management of waiting lists and asset management. 

These guidelines have been developed and were exhibited as part of the draft Frenchs Forest 2041 Place Strategy (see above).

The objective of Affordable Housing Tenancy Guidelines is to outline the requirements for the allocation and management of tenancies for properties within the Northern Beaches Council Affordable Housing Portfolio. It also sets out criteria for eligibility, rent, management of waiting lists and asset management.

It is intended the full cost of the program, including day-to-day property and cyclical maintenance, tenancy management, administration fees and major upgrading works is fully covered by rent revenue collected by the Housing Manager (Council or its nominated agent).

The Tenancy Guidelines were endorsed by Council at its meeting of 28 September 2021.

Affordable housing on any Council-owned Land

Any proposals for the redevelopment of Council-owned property will be assessed and considered against the directions in the LHS in the same way as proposals for private land.

Once Council has obtained affordable housing stock it will tender for a Community Housing Provider to manage and deliver affordable rental housing.