Our Impact
Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) reporting is good for business whilst also providing clear, measurable outcomes and accountability for how we run our business, support our residents and staff, and contribute to a more sustainable planet. A few selected highlights of Our Impact 2024, our second impact report, are featured below.
In 2024, our third year of impact reporting, we have further built our capacity to identify and report on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts of our operations and interactions with residents.
We have aligned our impact reporting with the new national ESG standard for community housing, developed in 2023 on behalf of the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA).
We are one of the 14 community housing organisations that are early adopters of the new standard and we will continue to report separately to CHIA on our ESG framework requirements.
City West Housing has pursued a range of initiatives to ensure our housing, services and business operations are good for the planet, good for our residents and good for business sustainability, including those below.
Practices to impact climate change
 | LED lighting upgradesWe have extended our program to retrofit and replace halogen lights with LEDs this year to improve the safety and energy efficiency of the carpark and refuse areas at Exordium Apartments in Zetland. This reduced the energy used for lighting the building by 91%, equivalent to 11 cars off the road for a year. |
Gas free developmentsAll our future developments will eliminate the use of natural gas for cooking and heating, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% and saving residents $200 in gas connection fees. In 2024, we also removed gas stoves and ovens from 16 older apartments, replacing them with modern electric induction appliances, which are a cleaner and safer option for the environment. | |
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Protection of the local environment
 | Community gardensÂA resident-inspired Build Your Neighbourhood initiative funded in 2024 is seeing residents across two apartment buildings learn to grow food in their community gardens, providing green space around our buildings that increases biodiversity. In partnership with TAFE NSW that provided an educational element through their Urban Food Growing workshops, this project also brought together the resident community, helping to build connection between the neighbouring buildings and friendship amongst residents. |
Sustainable approach to materials
Responsible waste managementIn preparing the site for our new Tallowwood Apartments development in Rockdale, we have diverted from landfill 100% of the brick and concrete |
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Affordability and security
 | Income based rent model100% of our affordable housing residents pay subsidised, income-based rents that do not exceed 30% of their combined household income. |
Building safety and quality
 | Proactive asbestos testingThe discovery of traces of asbestos in mulch used in schools, playgrounds, hospitals, and public spaces around Sydney in early 2024 prompted a proactive response from City West Housing. We engaged environmental consultants to conduct testing of all the mulched garden beds across our portfolio to identify any asbestos contamination. The consultant did not identify any asbestos in the mulch and issued clearance certificates for 100% of our apartment buildings. |
Resident voice
Listening to and empowering residentsWe had some 1,491 interactions with our residents in 2024, through a range of forums and mechanisms, to seek their input and feedback on issues affecting them and their communities. |
Resident support
 | Supporting young peopleOur Aspire Education Fund supported 18 residents in Years 7-10 to stay in school. Grants of up to $1,000 a year were used for tuition, uniforms, tutoring and a range of extracurricular activities in sport and the arts. |
Placemaking
 | Fostering social cohesionA continuing partnership with the Belvoir St Theatre is helping residents get to know each other through the shared experience of live theatre. In 2024 we sponsored residents to attend seven plays. |
Staff wellbeing
 | Support and wellbeingOur 2024 Employee Engagement Survey showed:
City West Housing was awarded a |
Structure and governance
 | Overall approach to governanceCity West Housing meets and often exceeds its obligations under the sector, corporate and not-for-profit regulatory regimes that oversee our business. |
Board
 | Committed directorsOur directors dedicate a significant amount of time to fulfilling their governance responsibilities as Board, including collectively in 2024 through:
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Systems and risk management
 | Systemic changeÂThe beginning of 2024 saw the integration of our waiting list into the new housing management system (TAS). The application process was integrated into TAS to make it easier for applicants and staff to submit, monitor, and update applications. The audit allowed for City West Housing to ensure that applicants on the list continue to meet our eligibility criteria and that applicant information is kept up to date, improving our service delivery and helping us manage risk. |
