Homelessness NSW is calling for urgent investment in social housing after analysis by Anglicare revealed that seven of the ten least affordable electorates in the country for renters are in NSW.
Those electorates are Sydney, Bradfield, Cook, Wentworth, Kingsford Smith, Reid and Warringah.
The analysis also found that low-income workers and families are being priced out of the private market altogether.
Dominique Rowe, CEO of Homelessness NSW, said: “This analysis confirms what we are seeing on the ground every day: the private rental market in NSW is failing.
“There is a severe shortage of affordable rental properties, particularly for people on low incomes. As more and more people are priced out of the private rental market, they face homelessness as a direct result.”
Anglicare’s analysis finds that just 0.6% of rental listings across the country are affordable for a single person earning the minimum wage.
“We know our housing market is broken when even full-time work is no longer a guarantee of housing security,” said Ms Rowe.
“It’s abundantly clear that we need major investment into social housing. Right now the supply of social housing is historically low. We need one in ten homes to be social homes.”
Almost 68,000 people sought help from homelessness services last year in NSW, and many were turned away due to overwhelming demand.
Rough sleeping has surged 51% in the past four years, while over 64,000 households remain on the social housing waitlist.
“Housing is a basic human need that should be available to everyone. If we fail to act, the crisis will only deepen,” said Ms Rowe.
Contact details:
Charlie Moore: 0452 606 171