Leading Sydney community housing organisations Bridge Housing and Women’s Housing Company have been awarded the NSW Government tender to manage 1,201 public housing tenancies in the northern beaches for the next 20 years.

The winning partnership under the Social Housing Management Transfer Program will see the two experienced housing organisations take over management of the properties over the next 20 months and assume all housing customer service functions – allocations, tenancy and maintenance – previously delivered by Department of Family and Community Services in the area. Bridge will also be responsible for managing and coordinating services support from government and non-government organisations.

The Minister for Family and Community Services, the Hon. Pru Goward, today announced the winners of all nine packages, representing 14,000 public housing properties across New South Wales, including three portfolios in metropolitan Sydney. Bridge Housing CEO John Nicolades said: ‘I am delighted that Bridge Housing’s enormous investment in the past three years in becoming fit for significant growth has paid off. Over the past decade, we have successfully integrated public housing estates and multi-unit developments into our tenancy management, including in Balmain and South Coogee, but on a much smaller scale.

‘Our two organisations will separately manage housing in the northern beaches portfolio but with an alignment of best practice processes and principles, and with Bridge Housing as the contractual partner with government.

‘I am confident that our new northern beaches tenants will feel welcome and supported and that the government will see its housing assets very well maintained under the combined management of Bridge Housing and Women’s Housing Company.’

Women’s Housing Company CEO Debbie Georgopoulos said: “Women’s Housing Company brings our specialisation in housing and supporting single, vulnerable women to the partnership and will manage 12.5 per cent of the new portfolio, focussing on locations where single women are housed.’

‘Our partnership with Bridge Housing will enable us both to do what we have been doing best for more than 30 years and for Women’s Housing Company to house more people from one of the fastest growing demographics of homeless in Australia.’

Bridge Housing’s portfolio will grow from around 2,000 properties to some 3,100 properties while Women’s Housing Company will grow from almost 750 properties to over 900 properties. The Package 8 portfolio stretches across Mosman and the newly formed North Beaches local government areas and comprises houses, townhouses and units, 724 of them one-bedroom units or studios. The vast majority of households are single person and about 50 per cent of tenants are women. Tenants will remain in their current homes under the management transfer.

Bridge Housing and Women’s Housing Company will keep new and existing tenants informed as information about the transition process becomes available.

(With thanks to Bridge Housing for this article)