Media release

22 November 2022

A new report has revealed Sydney has the highest rate of people experiencing unmet housing needs amongst Australia’s capital cities, highlighting the desperate need for greater investment in social and affordable housing from the NSW Government.

The ‘Quantifying Australia’s unmet housing need’ report released today by Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) shows there are more than 640,000 households in Australia whose housing needs are unmet, with that figure projected to soar to 940,000 nationally by 2041.

The situation is particularly dire in Sydney which accounts for 7.6 per cent of Australia’s unmet housing needs alone. Inner South West Sydney, South West Sydney and Parramatta were all in Australia’s top five regions for the highest proportion of households with unmet housing needs, according to the report.

Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) reflected on the ugly picture the report painted of Sydney and regional NSW’s housing crisis.

 “Today’s report reaffirms how real this housing crisis is for NSW families – and those living in Sydney and regional NSW are at its epicentre,” said CHIA NSW CEO, Mark Degotardi.

“There is an unacceptable number of families in Sydney who are being deprived of their basic human right of access to a safe, secure and affordable home to live in.

 “Those outside of Sydney have not received any respite either, with regional NSW being second only to regional Queensland when it comes to the number of families in extreme housing distress,” said Mr. Degotardi.

The report shows that families make up an alarming 57 per cent of those with unmet housing needs in Sydney.

“There are 50,000 individuals and families on the social housing waitlist and there are many more desperately looking for affordable rental housing,” said Mr Degotardi.

“That number is only going to increase unless politicians from across the political spectrum commit to investing in social and affordable housing, delivered by not-for-profit community housing providers. “With all these needs going unmet, its time the NSW Government confronts this crisis and takes responsibility to ensure everyone in this state has a safe place to call home,” said Mr Degotardi.

ENDS

Media contact: Tanya Evans, 0424 156 146