Last week, The Macleay Argus reported that the Kempsey mayor would like the state government's Kempsey Plan, a long-term generational plan to deal with the challenges of social disadvantage, crime and anti-social behaviour in Kempsey, to address the issue of density and quality of public housing in Kempsey.

There are about 30 to 50 public houses in Kempsey that have fallen into disrepair and are boarded up, including some homes that have been vandalised that could be classed as uninhabitable. 

Many of these homes are owned and managed by state government agencies, however, some public houses are also privately owned and rented through real estate agencies.

“There are a number of properties where the quality of the housing stock is of a low standard,” Cr Campbell said last week.

“I believe it is better to spread the housing throughout the community, so that people can be part of neighbourhoods of mixed ownership and backgrounds, just like everyone else. 

“Creating areas of community housing isolates people instead of putting them in neighbourhoods where they can be supported by the community better.”

The Macleay Argus asked the NSW Minister for Social Housing and government and non-government organisations responsible for public housing in Kempsey for a response to the mayor's concerns.

“The NSW Liberal and Nationals government is making headway with the massive maintenance backlog and spiralling social housing waiting lists which developed during 16 years of Labor government,” a spokeswoman for the Minister Brad Hazzard said.

“Labor’s legacy can’t be overturned overnight, but the government is getting on with the job.”

The Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) told The Macleay Argus it owned 129 properties in Kempsey and of those, 92 are managed by NSW Family and Community Services (FACS).

“The remainder of AHO owned properties are managed by Many Rivers Regional Housing Management Services Aboriginal Corporation and Bunyah Local Aboriginal Land Council,” a FACS spokesperson said.

“The majority of AHO owned houses in Kempsey are managed under a Service Level Agreement with FACS. The AHO applies maintenance standards in order to provide a safe and habitable environment for their tenants.

“When properties become vacant for reletting, windows and entry points can often be boarded up to reduce the risk of any possible vandalism and unauthorised access while restoration works are taking place. At present there are no AHO houses boarded up in Kempsey.”

Many Rivers Regional Housing Management Service Aboriginal Corporation manages social housing on behalf of NSW AHO as well as Aboriginal community owned houses. 

Many Rivers Regional Housing general manager Alex Webb said Many Rivers believes secure, affordable and good quality homes are the building blocks to improve the quality of life of Aboriginal people and the community. 

“We manage around 85 homes but no houses in the public housing estate referred to by the community as the Bronx,” Mr Webb said.

Community Housing Limited (CHL) manages 175 public houses in the Kempsey region for the NSW government and Housing NSW, with 35 of those houses leased through real estate agents.

“CHL had one house boarded up in Kempsey a couple of weeks ago for maintenance but the boards have now been removed and the house is ready to be tenanted,” NSW state manager Frank Birkefeld said.

“CHL was part of a commissioned independent audit called the Property Assessment Survey which was done for every single public housing dwelling in the state.

“The audit concluded that 94 per cent of CHL stock not only met the minimum standard required by Housing NSW, but also by the Residential Tenancy Act, with only 6 per cent of CHL stock not meeting required standards and none of those public houses were in Kempsey.”

The Macleay Argus contacted Mission Australia and was informed that Mission Australia has one community housing property in Kempsey, consisting of 10 units.

The Macleay Argus also contacted Kempsey public housing managers, the Kempsey Local Aboriginal Land Council, but they failed to respond.