The number of NSW households on the priority social housing waitlist has more than doubled in four years, with some communities recording increases up to 500%, a new report by Homelessness NSW has revealed.
The report titled Housing Code Red found 12,478 households are on the priority waitlist in NSW, up 115% from 5,800 in June 2021. The priority list includes people already homeless, fleeing domestic violence, or living in accommodation that fails basic safety standards.
Wagga Wagga recorded the highest increase, with a 500% rise since 2021. Over the same period, median rents in Wagga rose 41%. The priority list rose 450% in Griffith and 330% in Tamworth, which both suffered rent increases of 31%.
In Sydney, the western suburbs are bearing the brunt of the crisis. The priority waitlist in Camden grew by 494%, Bankstown by 405% and Fairfield by 175%.
“The dramatic increase in people on the priority waitlist is hugely concerning,” said Homelessness NSW CEO Dominique Rowe.
“People who are extremely vulnerable are being forced into desperate circumstances including homelessness due to the severe lack of social housing in our state.”
The report also found, on average, rent costs in NSW increased by 48%, or $220 per week, between 2020 and 2025.
“The strong link between waitlists increasing and rents rising suggests that people are being pushed out of the private rental market and left with no-where else to turn,” said Ms Rowe.
Ms Rowe said the chronic shortage of social housing was the result of decades of neglect by successive governments.
“Social housing makes up just 4.6% of housing stock NSW, when nearly 12% of households need it.
“We are calling on the state government to adopt a target of 10% of all homes being social housing, and to commit continued investment into growing our social housing stock until we get there.
“In the short term the government must boost funding for our homelessness services which are being overwhelmed and forced to turn more people away.
“NSW spends just $37 per capita on homelessness services, the lowest of any state or territory in Australia - that is not acceptable.”
In 2024-25, over 6,500 NSW homelessness services clients said housing affordability stress was their main reason for seeking help. This has increased from 5.1% in 2014-15 to 9.8% in 2024-25.
Overall, 68,247 households are waiting for social housing in NSW.
Contact details:
Eliot Barham: 0423 921 200