The NSW Government, facing a growing social housing waitlist – with 11,161 priority and 54,597 general approvals – has announced its first factory-built modular homes are nearing completion.
Three modular homes are being built and finished by Wild Modular in Smithfield, 31km west of Sydney's CBD, will soon be delivered and installed in Wollongong – the first dwellings rolling out statewide as part of the State Government's Building Homes for NSW initiative. A further 10 homes are due in Shellharbour, 85km south of Sydney, and Lake Macquarie, 150km north of Sydney, by the end of the year.
The first sites will feature a one-bedroom plus multipurpose room modular home installed in the backyard of an existing social housing property.
The Government claims the Modern Methods of Construction reduces build time by up to 20% and supports the Government’s plan to scale up Modern Methods of Construction including prefabrication and offsite builds to get more high-quality homes on the ground faster.
“This is the future of social housing – smarter, faster, modern and built to provide tenants dignity. Modular homes aren’t ‘shit-boxes’ they are the future," NSW Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said.
“We’re using modern construction to deliver beautiful homes for people who need them most, cutting wait times and creating good local jobs along the way."
Data from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice shows the state’s social housing waitlist from April 2024 to April 2025. As of June 2023, 16,328 people aged 55 and over were on the list.
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