The Australian Government is enabling more social and affordable housing than it has in a generation, but new Anglicare Sydney research warns that supply alone will not solve the housing crisis.
Anglicare Sydney's latest housing report, More Than a Key in the Door, draws on 421 resident surveys, 22 interviews and seven years of assessment data across 803 social and affordable homes in NSW.
The report shows the strongest results occur when affordable housing is combined with secure tenure, practical support and a sense of community. When these principles are applied resident outcomes are impressive:
- Loneliness fell from 38% to 21 per cent
- 95 per cent felt a sense of belonging
- More than 90 per cent of residents were confident of keeping their home long term
- 92 per cent knew where to seek help, up from 52 per cent
Personal Wellbeing Index results show residents also report markedly higher results against sector benchmarks (for those aged over 65), with wellbeing scoring of 76.1 (benchmark of 66.8) and community connectedness at 77.0 (benchmark of 65.0).
Anglicare Sydney Housing Lead Dr Rob Stokes said governments deserved credit for supporting a significant expansion of housing supply but warned against treating housing as shelter alone.
“If we focus only on supply and ignore community, connection and support, we risk moving the crisis rather than solving it,” Dr Stokes said.
“These outcomes tell us that the biggest gains in wellbeing came from things a building cannot provide on its own. Simply getting a key to a home isn’t enough.”
What Anglicare Sydney is calling for
The report makes three recommendations to governments:
- Bundle support funding with capital funding for new social and affordable housing developments.
- Preserve affordability requirements over the long term, rather than for a fixed window.
- Measure tenancy sustainment and resident wellbeing alongside housing supply.
“Get these three things right and we protect the long-lasting benefits social and affordable housing can deliver,” Dr Stokes said.
“Every social and affordable housing tenant deserves to have housing combined with stability, relationships and support.”
Jo’s story
For Jo Nicholson, who lives in one of Anglicare's social and affordable homes at St Luke's Village in Dapto, the difference between housing and home is deeply personal.
Before moving into Anglicare Housing, she was at risk of homelessness.
“Rent was out of my reach and I had no idea where I was going to live. I was lucky enough that Anglicare has helped me find a place that has turned out to be so much more than just a key in a door,” Ms Nicholson said.
Today she is an active participant in village life and contributes items to community events and fetes.
“I've spent a lot of my life on the receiving end of help. Here I get to be the one who turns up with something for the stall, and that's changed how I feel about myself.”
Some 84 per cent of Anglicare Housing residents are older women, with 63 per cent aged 65 or over. Almost one-third had experienced homelessness in the past.
The More Than a Key in the Door report is available at: www.anglicare.org.au/housingimpact
Contact details:
Dylan Malloch
Anglicare Sydney
Head of Media & Communications
M: 0492 044 981
