The Northern Beaches was home to one of the State’s earliest tenancy schemes in the early 1980’s, with not-for-profit Link Wentworth providing much of the social and affordable housing options available in the 40 years since. Last week, seventy former and current residents, staff, volunteers and support workers came together at Dee Why to discuss their experiences and the increasing challenge of housing security in the region.
Social housing is secure, affordable rental housing for people on very low to low incomes. Tenants who live in social housing pay a percentage of their income as rent (at Link Wentworth this is 25%). Link Wentworth is a registered provider of social housing.
Applications for social housing go through Housing Pathways, which is a centralised system managed by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). There is one waiting list called the NSW Housing Register.
“Social and affordable housing is more important than ever as the cost of living and housing crises continue to pressure individuals and families,” Link Wentworth CEO Andrew McAnulty said.
Mr McAnulty said they were working hard with local, state and federal levels of government, as well as the private sector, to secure more housing on the Northern Beaches.
To that end, they confirmed a fruition of plans to provide social housing for older women at risk of homelessness in the redevelopment of the Queenscliff Community Health Centre.
The not-for-profit community housing organisation has partnered with property developer company, Landcom, to turn the former Queenscliff Community Health Centre into affordable housing.
At least 12 of the 37 homes scheduled for completion in June 2026 will meet that specific need, the remaining available for a broader cohort of those in need of social and affordable housing.
Link Wentworth’s CEO, Andrew McAnulty, told Manly Observer the company has already organised multiple accommodations for vulnerable older women at the new facility, ahead of its construction.
“The Queenscliff Centre is a long-standing community asset, and we’re really delighted to be transforming that into 37 homes for older women at risk of homelessness,” he said at a conference celebrating 40 years of Link Wentworth.
“We haven’t formed an explicit waiting list, but there is a massive queue of people who need that accommodation.”
“We haven’t formed an explicit waiting list, but there is a massive queue of people who need that accommodation.”
There are over 56,000 households on the social housing waiting list, with median waiting times of almost 32 months for Sydneysiders, according to data from the state government.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics released, in their 2021 census last year, that the number of women experiencing homelessness has increased by 10 per cent since their previous 2016 census.
Link Wentworth manages more than 6,400 homes across Sydney, including over 350
homes on the Northern Beaches. Many women who are vulnerable or need crisis accommodation take advantage of these properties.
“I’ve been with Link since my kids were really young, and it’s made all the difference for me,” Michelle said, who has been using the service to improve her quality of life.
“I’m of the demographic that is of high risk being a woman of my age with mental health conditions. Now, for the first time, I live in a place that I love, have a sense of community, am able to purse study and it really helps me health-wise.”
Michelle says she is now pursuing a course in design, expressing it has been the first opportunity for her to do so now that her kids have moved out and she has safe accommodation.
The not-for-profit aims to provide social and affordable housing to those who need it, for however long it’s necessary. For Winifred, she’s been using the service since its establishment 40 years ago.
“40 years from the day when they took over [since Winifred has been a resident],” she said.
“Whenever I’ve got anything, you know, they’ll come and fix me up and everything. They’ve been really terrific people. I can’t run them down one bit.”
The social housing in Queenscliff will include 37 homes comprising studio apartments, one-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom apartments. Mr McAnulty says at least 12 of the spaces will be available for women over the age of 55 at risk of homelessness.
Independent Member for Wakehurst, Michael Regan says he has been a long-time advocate for affordable housing and has been pushing the Queenscliff development to parliament for years.
“The government weren’t going to do it,” he said.
“They were going to send it to Landcom who were only going to put two units of affordable housing, maybe two and a half of 37 potential units. They went for an EOI at our insistence. They came back with Link housing’s proposal for 37 permanent accomodation and reuse of the building.”
Mr Regan continued that, although the Queenscliff affordable housing was an achievement, there’s still more potential to expand this precedent across the Northern Beaches.
“The housing crisis is the same as it is across the state, across the nation,” he added.
“Prices are out of control. This just shows you what can be done. I’m looking at a Frenchs Forest high school site. 1,000 units are going to be built there, but only 150 are put aside for affordable housing. I’m saying, why can’t we have 100 per cent? So watch this space.”
The new social housing will be built where the current Queenscliff Community Health Centre is located on Corner Lakeside Crescent and Palm Avenue.
Remediation works are expected to start before Christmas with construction on the site formally beginning around April next year. Construction is aiming to take 15 months to be completed and ready for accommodation by June 2026.
