Your Questions Answered 

City West Housing recognises that some residents in two of our buildings have been experiencing discomfort in their homes during hot weather. The location and aspect of these buildings are contributing factors to the thermal comfort of some apartments.

Platform Apartments: Following consultation with a TV Group member resident, we are installing ceiling fans in the living rooms and bedrooms of all 88 apartments. The work is expected to be completed this financial year.

Blackwattle Apartments: We have undertaken a thermal comfort audit of the most heat impacted apartments. We are now working with the engineer to determine and cost the best solutions to mitigate the heat in those apartments in 2024-25.

The Assets Team will keep residents updated as more information becomes available.

City West Housing has no plans to change the way we calculate rents.

The vast majority of City West Housing tenants pay income-based rents. They pay no more than 30% of their household’s combined income (including any Centrelink payments) in rent, which is the accepted threshold for rental stress, nor are they charged more than the (equivalent private) market rent for their area.

For those tenants who receive Commonwealth Rent Assistance, those payments are included in their contribution to their rent.

We conduct regular rent reviews with tenants to ensure they are paying the correct amount of rent. Learn more about when you need to notify us of changes in your circumstances, which may affect the amount of rent you pay.

Read the Rent Policy to learn more about how we calculate rents.

We try to support our residents to live more sustainably. Some residents have requested green bins for recyclable rubbish for their building.

Subject to suitable storage space, we can arrange this by applying to the City of Sydney on your behalf. Please contact your Housing Manager to make an initial enquiry about green bins.

More information about this City of Sydney service can be found here.

We conduct the following training in the areas of diversity, trauma and First Nations rights:

• Current staff members have completed an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competence Course. This is a 10-hour online training course, delivered by the Centre for Cultural Competence Australia. All new staff members are expected to complete this training within their first six months of employment with City West Housing.

• In terms of broader trauma-informed training, identifying DV, identifying people who are struggling, we have a dedicated development budget set aside for staff to engage in the relevant training courses. Staff members who are new to the Community Housing sector attend an induction course provided by the Australasian Housing Institute where the subjects include trauma-informed care, vicarious trauma and self-care strategies.

• Each year City West Housing reviews training gaps to ensure that we address them and stay current.

To address antisocial behaviour in our apartment buildings City West Housing has a multipronged approach.

We encourage open communication between residents and CWH so that residents know that they have someone to talk to and they understand their rights and obligations as tenants.

We recognise that community-building activities are important and look to bring such programs to complexes where anti-social behaviour is an issue.

We also collaborate with law enforcement, where necessary, to build a case against any tenant where persistent anti-social behaviour is evident to ensure a safe, harmonious living environment for all residents.

Read our Good Neighbour Policy.

Current funded Build Your Neighbourhood initiatives are featured on our website here.  Applications for 2024 Build Your Neighbourhood grants are now closed.

We also regularly feature Build Your Neighbourhood initiatives in the CWH Connect newsletter and in our social media posts.

If you would like to join an existing initiative or start one in your building, please contact our Community Engagement Officer at: Amanda.zhong@citywesthousing.com.au

City West Housing is not going to lose sight of residents in the City of Sydney and we remain committed to providing a good service.

There are two properties currently in the pipeline that lie outside the City of Sydney portfolio, one in Bankstown and one in Rockdale. We have a clear strategy for where we want to build as we want to provide good service wherever we are. This strategy includes consideration of distance from our office and also access to other services.

The main rationale for expanding into other LGAs is because it is increasingly difficult to find and purchase land within the City of Sydney. Things have changed since we started 30 years ago. At that time, Pyrmont and Ultimo were going through a renewal which made it easier to purchase land; the same goes for Green Square. Now City West Housing finds itself increasingly competing with private, for-profit developers in the area.

While we will continue to look to invest within the City as a key focus, we also want to do more, with the need for affordable housing everywhere.