The current flooding that we are experiencing across NSW and Victoria will create additional demand for social housing, and this will increase waiting times for housing, according to Homes Out West, a registered community housing provider that has been operating in the south western Riverina region of NSW since 1984.
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In the last one to two years, it has seen demand for its services doubled, something that is proportionate across our region and the state in general.
In response to a campaign launch to end homelessness in NSW in Sydney on Wednesday morning, Homes Out West CEO Gayle Clarke said there was an increased demand for housing across all local Council areas, including Edward River, Berrigan, Murrumbidgee, Murray, and Federation.
“This is evidenced through the ‘waiting list’ for the NSW Housing Register which we monitor quite closely, as well anecdotally,” she said.
“We manage numerous queries from applicants for the housing register as well as fielding queries for information from various stakeholders across the region, such as councils, government agencies and support agencies.
“We are often aware that people would like to apply for housing in particular locations but will change their selected location when they become aware of how long it can take to receive an offer of housing.
“This is generally due to limited stock and a low rate of turnover in existing tenancies.”
The initiative has an aim of increasing the stock of social housing to 10 per cent of all residential dwellings by 2050 to ensure those in need in NSW have a place to call home.
Homelessness NSW launched Ending Homelessness Together, a roadmap for the NSW Government and business to increase supply of housing for those worst hit by the current rental and cost of living crises.
Mrs Clarke said Homes Out West had certainly observed some changes to the demographic seeking assistance with housing.
“More people than previously are employed and earning what has routinely been described as adequate income,” she said.
“Previously these applicants would have been able to secure a private rental but the many and varied pressures facing people currently has made it more challenging to obtain a private rental.
“Cost of living pressures are currently one of the biggest drivers behind families and individuals being unable to afford housing and all the costs associated with maintaining their home.
“Additionally, in the last 10 years, there have been more single people seeking assistance with housing as opposed to families.
“This becomes challenging as the existing social housing stock in NSW was built when the majority of people seeking housing assistance were families, so three and four bedroom homes were built in response to that.”
Homelessness NSW CEO Trina Jones said an additional $1.18 billion a year – equivalent to just one per cent of state government spending – is required to begin to address the decade-long waiting list for social housing and the more than 70,000 homeless people a year currently being supported by the government and service providers.
“Homelessness should not be accepted as a fact of life by political leaders or citizens in a state as prosperous and as caring as NSW,” Ms Jones said on Wednesday.
“The solutions we outline today would not only boost economic activity but also ease the strain on health, mental health and corrective services that are disproportionately needed by those without a safe home to rely on.
“We can’t solve homelessness without more housing, it’s as simple as that. Housing that is affordable for people on low incomes - the same people who are increasingly being locked out of the rental markets in cities and regions across NSW.”
Homes Out West has observed that the statistics for the entire state of NSW indicate women over 55 are the fastest growing cohort of people faced with homelessness.
It has participated in NSW Government initiatives around housing homeless people at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic - a program that continues at the moment.
“We have also experienced an increase in phone calls and walk-in enquiries at all of our offices, with people seeking assistance,” Mrs Clarke said.
“The assistance ranges from initial enquiries about completing an application for social housing, to updating details to maintain their application for housing, and general enquiries about when people can expect to be offered housing.”
The Homelessness NSW plan, Ending Homelessness Together, provides three practical solutions that the NSW Government and its agencies, supported by business and community, can implement to ensure everyone has a place to call home.
They are:
• Increase net stock of social housing from 4.7 per cent to 10 per cent;
• Properly fund homelessness services to meet rising demand; and
•Create a ‘Homelessness Commissioner’ to co-ordinate across government.
Ms Jones said the supply of social housing has been neglected to such an extent that Homelessness NSW is urging the NSW Government to partner with the Australian Government to urgently build 5000 new social housing dwellings a year for ten years.
“This would provide much-needed homes that people on the waiting list currently wait more than ten years to access but also lay the groundwork for future planning reforms and the introduction of innovative delivery models for ongoing investment,” she said.
“NSW currently builds an average of 34,000 residential dwellings per year, of which approximately 700 - or 2% - are social housing dwellings. In total, 4.7% of all residential dwellings are public housing. Increasing supply to 10% by 2050 represents about 200,000 additional homes.
“The lack of supply is getting worse as more people are being forced to live in tents, cars and vans because they can’t afford rent. I have visited and spoken to entire families who are living in tents without any option of a roof over their head.
“At the current rate of social housing investment in NSW, we estimate it could take 70 years to house everyone on the waiting list. Together, we can end homelessness but right now is when we need to see the commitment to start on the task.”
Homes Out West believes a commitment from Land & Housing Corporation (NSW) [LAHC NSW] to refresh the existing social housing stock that Homes Out West manages on their behalf, as well as opportunities to build new social housing would be initiative that could help with housing supply in the local area.
“This could be a collaboration between Homes Out West, Council, LAHC NSW and other interested parties,” Mrs Clarke said.
“Housing however needs to be accompanied by increased access to services, such as employment and employment services, support services, training and education.
“The NSW Government needs to make a commitment to bring additional services into our region.”
Homes Out West will continue to campaign for the regions that it covers to receive their fair share of funding.
“This funding should not just be focused on the metropolitan areas and larger regional centres,” Mrs Clarke said.
“It is also required in places like Corowa, Finley and of course – Deniliquin.”
Mrs Clarke said the goals of the Ending Homelessness Together campaign would achieve sufficient social housing to house the number of people currently on the NSW Housing Register.
“This initiative will need to extend further into the future as we will only see the waiting times and number of people on the housing register continue to grow,” she said.
Key facts on housing and homelessness in NSW:
• 70,000 people were assisted for homelessness in NSW in 2021.
• There are currently 50,000 people on the NSW public housing waiting list.
• In regional areas less than one per cent of rentals are available to people on low income.
• To increase public housing to 10 per cent of all residential stock, 200,000 more dwellings need to be built by 2050.
• Building 5,000 homes a year would add $23 billion to the state economy over the forward estimates.
• Social housing significantly reduces demand for health, mental health and corrective services by people experiencing homelessness.