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Social housing shortage is ticking time bomb
By Jonathon Howard THE TWEED Shire is facing a social housing time bomb, as highlighted by the latest Compass Housing Services report, which revealed a looming shortfall of almost 200,000 homes across Australia by 2031 unless the Federal Government intervenes. Across NSW, there are currently 51,395 people on the social housing waiting list with a predicted shortfall of homes impacting 65,000 residents over the next 10 years. In fact, the report showed state governments have “limited capacity” to house the people on their respective waiting lists and “no capacity to cater for future demand”. The Tweed Shire and Northern Rivers, like many areas, are gripped by a housing crisis and homeless support services are being stretched. The report calls for the Federal Government to intervene and take the lead on a national partnership between all levels of government, community housing organisations, and the private sector. Report lead-author Professor David Adamson said despite good intentions, the states had lost control of the issue and the problem was now “too big for them to handle with 196,000 new social housing units needed across Australia by 2031”. “There are approximately 169,000 households on social housing waiting lists across Australia and under the current system most of them will never be allocated a property,” he said. “Over the next decade, the states and territories are planning to build just 66,000 social housing properties.
“Even if they hit their targets, they will have undershot the existing level of demand by 60 per cent, or more than 100,000 homes. “If you include the additional demand from population growth over the period in question the shortfall increases to more than 196,000 homes.” Report co-author Martin Kennedy said the problems facing the social housing system were part of a broader housing crisis that had been building for 30 years. “Home ownership rates have collapsed, the share of renters in housing stress is increasing and social housing waiting lists are out of control,” he said. “The Commonwealth insists social housing is a state responsibility, but that arrangement isn’t working. “If we keep expecting the states to fix a problem that is clearly beyond them, an increasing proportion of the population will experience socially damaging levels of inequality and financial hardship.” Everybody’s Home national spokesperson Kate Colvin said federal intervention was urgent. “The federal-state blame game is arid and gets us nowhere. A ballooning number of Australians on low and middle incomes simply cannot compete for housing in the booming private sales and rental market,” she said. “We need a breakthrough in cooperation quickly, otherwise Australia will confront a social catastrophe. “State governments simply do not have the fiscal firepower to build enough social housing. “Unless the Federal Government steps up, homelessness services
A social housing shortfall across the Northern Rivers could be compounded by 2031 and lead to a dire sitatuon for homelessness in Australia, says the latest Compass Housing Services report
and other health and welfare services will be overwhelmed.” The Country Women’s Association of NSW is launching its annual Awareness Week campaign on Sunday, September 5, this year focusing on the urgent need for more social and affordable housing across NSW, particularly in the regions.
CWA of NSW President Stephanie Stanhope said Awareness Week 2021 was set to highlight the housing pressures on women over 55, who are the fastest growing cohort of homeless people in Australia. “Everybody deserves to have a safe, secure and affordable place to live and we support community housing providers
who are pleading for more to be done to help the state’s most vulnerable citizens,” she said. “We must act now if we are to start turning around the massive shortfall that already exists in social housing stocks, and we must start taking seriously the need to make housing in general more affordable for all individuals and families.”
We are so thrilled and honoured to be nominated in REI NSW Awards for Excellence... Now into its 25th year, the prestigious Real Estate Institute of New South Wales Awards for Excellence are the most respected and highest honour within the real estate profession, acknowledging exceptional performances across the industry. The 2021 finalists have just been announced.
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Among those honoured was our team at Raine & Horne Ocean Shores/Brunswick Heads & Murwillumbah, who have been shortlisted as finalists in the RESIDENTIAL SALES TEAM category. Megan Chynoweth, our Sales team’s Administration Manager, is also a finalist in the OPERATIONAL SUPPORT category.
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We are so thrilled and honoured to