Media release

18 May 2023

The Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) said it is encouraged to hear the Minns Government is investigating ways to confront the housing crisis and homelessness but has warned that converting office buildings is not an immediate solution.

The peak community housing body cautioned that these spaces are often unsuitable for housing and that the resources it would take to properly retrofit them would be better spent on increasing purpose-built social and affordable housing supply.

“The State Government wanting to be proactive and creative about confronting the housing crisis is completely welcomed but we want to ensure government resources are being utilised in the most effective ways possible,” said Caitlin McDowell, Head of Policy at CHIA NSW.

“Converting offices or other commercial spaces into permanent social housing would take a significant investment of resources by the State Government to make the spaces liveable.

“We would much prefer to see that investment be dedicated towards increasing the supply of new social and affordable housing properties which have been designed for people in greatest need,” said Ms McDowell.

CHIA NSW said the social housing waitlist increased by 15 percent in the last year and is only expected to rise as the cost of private rentals continues to skyrocket while vacancy rates sit at record lows.

“Government investing in social and affordable housing to be delivered by community housing providers is the most cost-effective way to get vulnerable people into safe, secure and affordable homes. Community housing providers are non-profit organisations who exist to support people into a home – investing in them is a win for NSW families,” said Ms McDowell.

Media Contact: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765 

Media release

16 May 2023

The Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) has urged the NSW Government to prioritise social and affordable housing as it conducts an audit of underutilised public land.

Premier Chris Minns will today order his government to conduct an audit of public landholdings to  identify land which can be repurposed for housing as the state grapples with an unprecedented housing emergency.

“We welcome the news of this audit, and the urgency shown by Premier Minns that he wants to address the growing crisis,” said Caitlin McDowell, Head of Policy & Advocacy at CHIA NSW.

“But it is absolutely critical that a significant portion of rezoned land be used to build social and affordable housing. That is the key to confronting a housing crisis which is having its most severe impacts on our state’s most vulnerable people.

“There are 58,000 families and individuals on the social housing waitlist in NSW. Many are waiting more than 10 years in this so-called queue. The need for social and affordable housing could not be more obvious,” said Ms McDowell.

CHIA NSW said that the housing crisis is growing, and that the private rental market is forcing families in NSW into desperate situations.

“The pressure on the housing market is immense, with the cost of private rentals skyrocketing and vacancy rates hitting record lows. This housing and rental crisis is growing more and more dire each passing day.

“Our essential workers, pensioners, people living with disabilities, students, minimum-wage earners and others are struggling the most through this crisis. That is why this audit must prioritise the construction of social and affordable housing, so ordinary people can afford to keep a roof over their head,” said Ms McDowell.

Media Contact: Kayla Foster, 0447 040 029   

Media release

3 May 2023

Rents have increased by a record amount showing the dire need for investment in social and affordable housing, said Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW).

Data released today by Core Logic shows rents in Sydney increased by 13.1 per cent in 12 months, and 1.3 per cent in the past month alone. The average renter in Sydney is paying $711 per week.

The combined capitals’ rental rate increased 11.7 per cent over the past year.

“This is not the sort of record anyone in Australia wants to break. It is yet more proof that renters in NSW and across the country are at crisis point,” said Mark Degotardi, CEO of CHIA NSW.  

“The housing emergency is growing more and more dire. Yesterday’s interest rate rise will be passed on by landlords to renters, and the vacancy rate in NSW is also at a record-low, so we can expect rents to climb even further,”

CHIA NSW said investment in social and affordable housing is urgently needed to fix the escalating crisis.

“The social housing waitlist in NSW increased by 15 per cent in the past year. There are now 58,000 families and individuals on the waitlist, and with the continued increases in rental prices this number will also grow, as people cannot afford to stay in the private rental market,”

“We simply do not have enough affordable rental housing in NSW. We need the State Government to treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves, and build more social and affordable housing,” said Mr Degotardi.

Media contact: Kayla Foster, 0447 040 029

Media release

2 May 2023

Families renting in NSW have been dealt a fresh blow after the Reserve Bank announced another interest rate rise, said the Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW).

“Today’s interest rate rise is more bad news for families renting in NSW who are already in the midst of a housing crisis,” said Mark Degotardi, CEO of CHIA NSW and spokesperson for the Confront the Crisis campaign.

“Landlords are passing these rises onto renters, and record-low vacancy rates in our state mean that there’s just nowhere for families to go if they can’t afford the increased cost of their rent,” said Mr Degotardi.

CHIA NSW has urged the newly elected Labor Government to commit to making a substantial investment to increase the supply of social and affordable housing to address the escalating housing crisis.

“The social housing waitlist in NSW has increased to almost 58,000 families and individuals.  That’s a 15 per cent increase from the previous year,” said Mr Degotardi.

“Unless the newly elected Labor Government urgently invests in more social and affordable housing, this number will continue to grow,

“The NSW Government can’t prevent further interest rate rises, but they can alleviate some of the pressure families in housing crisis are facing by building more social and affordable homes,” said Mr Degotardi.

“This is a housing emergency. The new Labor Government must act with the urgency this crisis deserves,” said Mr Degotardi.

Media contact: Kayla Foster, 0447 040 029

Media release

28 April 2023

The Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) is urging the State Government to build more social and affordable housing, as new data from Anglicare Australia revealed the true state of the rental affordability crisis.

The data reveals that in late March, there were 41 rental listings out of 10,500 in Greater Sydney and the Illawarra which were affordable to welfare recipients of any kind. Meanwhile, just 4% of those rental listings were affordable to someone earning the minimum wage.

CHIA NSW CEO Mark Degotardi said the data paints a dire picture of rental affordability in the state which will only worsen unless the State Government prioritises investing in social and affordable housing.

“People like single parents, pensioners, students, and disability support recipients are being left with two choices – fighting an unwinnable battle in the private rental market over a small handful of properties, or joining the ten year long queue for social housing,” said Mr Degotardi.

“We’ve never seen this many people who earn the minimum wage being priced out of the private rental market, meaning unaffordability is continuing to climb.

Anglicare’s report also reveals that on the North Coast of NSW, just four out of 730 rentals were affordable for welfare recipients.

“This is far from just a Sydney problem. The regions are languishing through this crisis, particularly in areas like the North Coast of NSW where the impacts of the floods compound the problem,” Mr Degotardi said.  

“There’s been chronic neglect of our social and affordable housing stock in NSW by successive state governments. It’s one of the key reasons why the rental situation in our state is so dire.

Mr Degotardi said the new State Government has the opportunity to address the escalating crisis, by investing in the social and affordable housing families in NSW need.

“Rental affordability has deteriorated in the past twelve months and is only going to get worse unless we see an urgent commitment from the state government to back community housing to help alleviate the issue.

“We are facing an escalating housing crisis and nothing will change if we don’t start confronting it right now,” said Mr Degotardi. 

Media contact: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765

Media release

6 April 2023

New data reveals Sydney is now the most expensive place to rent in Australia while rental vacancy rates across NSW are at record lows, putting further pressure on tenants as a rental subsidy scheme continues being wound back.

Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) has called for urgent action from the NSW Labor Government following the release of the latest CoreLogic data, which shows a 12.6% year-on-year surge of rental prices and a drop in vacancy rates to 1.2 percent across Sydney.

These alarming figures come at the same time as the Federal Government winds back the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) which has provided thousands of homes with rental subsidies in NSW since it was introduced in 2008.

NSW will continue to lose NRAS properties in 2023 and by the time the scheme ends in 2026, almost 2,400 affordable housing properties are expected to be lost.

A further 2,500 NRAS properties will be retained as affordable rental housing by community housing providers who will be forced to cover the gap left by the subsidy.

CEO of CHIA NSW Mark Degotardi said winding back the NRAS in the current housing crisis will have disastrous impacts and take rental affordability in NSW backwards unless ongoing rental subsidies and significant investment in social and affordable housing supply are prioritised.

“The current state of the private rental market is a train-wreck. People who are evicted from ex-NRAS properties will be condemned to an unwinnable battle of finding rental housing,” Mr Degotardi said.

“Evicted families will be forced to compete in the unaffordable private rental market, which means they may have to move away from their hometowns to find housing, leaving behind their schools, work, and communities.

“A short-term solution is to provide rental subsidies until the supply of social and affordable housing improves, ensuring no low-income families are left out in the cold.

“It’s no secret that NSW needs more social and affordable housing supply, but there is already evidence that affordable housing is most effectively delivered by non-profit community housing providers by leveraging existing housing stock and providing rental subsidies,” said Mr Degotardi.

CHIA NSW is calling for the Federal Government to provide an extended subsidy for existing NRAS properties and for the incoming NSW Labor Government to make a long-term commitment to investing in new social and affordable housing supply. “We need urgent action to retain existing affordable housing, as well as investment in new social and affordable housing, otherwise this crisis will deteriorate even further,” Mr Degotardi said.

Media contact: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765

Media release

4 April 2023

The Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) has congratulated Rose Jackson on being appointed the state’s new Housing and Homelessness Minister, while urging her to advocate for a significant and long-term investment in social and affordable housing in NSW.

CHIA NSW CEO Mark Degotardi said NSW urgently needs the new State Government to invest in building more social and affordable housing to cut the social housing waitlist which grew by 15 percent last year, and is now sitting at a staggering 58,000 individuals and families.

“This is an urgent call for the new Labor Government to get started on addressing the housing emergency today, because it’s only getting worse,” said CHIA NSW CEO Mark Degotardi.

“The housing emergency was a top tier issue for voters during the election campaign, but neither major party announced significant, tangible policies to tackle the problem.

“Vacancy rates in Sydney are at record lows of below one per cent, homelessness has skyrocketed across parts of regional NSW, and we’ve got a social housing waitlist with eye-watering queues in excess of ten years.

“The Minns’ Labor Government didn’t create this problem, but fixing it is now clearly its responsibility. We can no longer sit idly by while more than 200,000 households in NSW are in housing stress or facing homelessness.

“The announcement of the new ministry must be the start of a new compact between Government, not-for-profit community housing providers and the private sector – a commitment to the people of NSW that we do not accept the status quo.

“Ten-year social housing waiting lists, families unable to pay for basic needs like health or education, people living in cars or calling tents their permanent home are the things that must change.

“These problems are solvable with a strong housing strategy, sustained and significant investment from the Government and effective partnerships with key providers like the community housing industry.

“The work must start now.” said Mr Degotardi.

Media contact: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765

Media release

22 March 2023

Read CHIA NSW’s Addressing rough sleeping and changing lives: The case to make Together Home a permanent Housing First response in NSW report here.

The state’s peak community housing organisation, the Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW), has warned that a life-changing program that gets people sleeping rough into secure homes is set to end, putting hundreds of people at risk of homelessness.

The Together Home program has provided stable housing and support to over 1,000 people since July 2020, however the majority of participants are set to exit the program by the end of this year.

This call comes as the latest Census data shows there has been a small but welcome decrease in people experiencing homelessness in NSW since 2016.

The 2021 Census was held during COVID-19 lockdowns, during which time the NSW Government provided temporary accommodation to rough sleepers as a health prevention measure. However, the Census results show the Together Home program is effective in ending homelessness by ensuring people sleeping rough have safe and secure housing and much-needed additional support.

CHIA NSW is urging the NSW State Government to commit to a Housing First policy across NSW and make the Together Home program permanent by committing to $25 million per year to continue the successful program.

“Together Home has supported over 1,000 people in NSW to get off the streets and into a safe home with wrap-around support. This has allowed them to sustain their tenancies and to enter education and training and to secure jobs. It’s a life-changing program,” said Mark Degotardi, CEO of CHIA NSW.

“The Census results are encouraging but we can’t stop now.  The Census data is more than a year old, during which time rents have increased by over 20% while inflation has neared 8%, putting more people at risk of homelessness than ever before.  All the progress will be lost if the Government doesn’t keep funding this highly effective program.”

CHIA NSW has also called for the NSW Government to build an additional 200 social housing properties every year for people exiting the program, to ensure those who’ve benefited from the program are not forced back into homelessness when they leave it.

More than 850 people are expected to exit from the program by late 2023, however current funding will only provide homes for only 20 percent of people.

Mr Degotardi said funding of $25 million per year would provide 250 new Together Home packages each year as well as on-going support for people with high and complex needs.

He said it was critical that the NSW Government builds more housing for participants exiting the program, to ensure the benefits of the program were not lost.

“When people exit the Together Home program, they are facing a rental market which has record-low vacancy rates and record-high rents, and a social housing waitlist of almost 58,000 households,” said Mr Degotardi.

“This means that nearly 700 individuals and families are at risk of slipping back into homelessness,” he said.

“The funding from the past two state budgets, with co-contributions from community housing providers, will deliver 220 homes over the coming years. That’s a great start but it’s not enough – it will only meet the needs of 20 percent of current program participants,” said Mr Degotardi.

“We urgently need funding for the Together Home program to continue to ensure those who are already in the program are not at risk of becoming homeless again, while also providing support to people who continue to sleep rough. Our recommendation is that the program is embedded as a permanent Housing First response in NSW.

Read CHIA NSW’s Addressing rough sleeping and changing lives: The case to make Together Home a permanent Housing First response in NSW report here.

Media contact: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765

Media release

03 March 2023

The NSW Coalition’s commitment to protections for renters are welcome but will not address the escalating housing crisis, the Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) says.

“New figures released today reveal that there is a rental vacancy rate of 0.9 per cent in NSW. This clearly shows there are not enough affordable rentals available in our state,” said Mark Degotardi, CEO of CHIA NSW.

“Today’s commitment by Premier Perrottet to introduce protections for renters is welcome, but it will do nothing to address the shortage of affordable homes,” said Mr Degotardi.

“These sorts of initiatives provide support for those who have a rental home, but how does the NSW Government plan on supporting those who are either living in housing stress or are facing homelessness, when there is nowhere for them to go?”

“There are almost 58,000 families and individuals on the social housing waitlist in NSW, and many are waiting more than 10 years for a home.

“We are facing an escalating housing crisis, and while it’s a positive to see that renters will have some level of protections, nothing will change without real, long-term investment in social and affordable housing,” said Mr Degotardi. 

Media contact: Kayla Foster, 0447 040 029

Media release

03 March 2023

The peak body for community housing in NSW, Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) is calling on the NSW Government to confront the housing crisis as Sydney records yet another new record-low rental vacancy rate.

Mark Degotardi, CEO of CHIA NSW said the vacancy rate figures were one of many indicators that NSW is facing a housing crisis.

“Sydney’s new record-low vacancy rate is more proof that our state is in the midst of a housing crisis,” said Mark Degotardi, CEO of CHIA NSW.

“The social housing waitlist in NSW increased by 15% in the last year alone, to almost 58,000 families and individuals. This number is going to get worse, as there aren’t enough homes available for people to rent.

“This is a crisis, and it requires an urgent, emergency response from the NSW Government,” Mr Degotardi said. 

The data released today by Domain for February shows that vacancy rate in Sydney have slipped to a new record low 0.9 per cent, with Domain warning the conditions are going to get more serious. This vacancy rate has halved since the same time last year, and has decreased by over 65% since January 2021.

“One of the key causes of the housing crisis is neglect by successive state governments. For decades they have failed to invest in the social and affordable rental housing NSW desperately needs,” said Mr Degotardi.

“Our leaders cannot keep turning their backs on the thousands of families across our state struggling to keep a roof over their head. Ahead of the state election, both sides of politics must confront the crisis, and commit to investing in the social and affordable housing our state needs,” Mr Degotardi said.

Media contact: Kayla Foster, 0447 040 029