Media release
8th June 2025
CHIA NSW CEO, Mark Degotardi
The debate about whether we’re in a housing crisis is long behind us. The real question now is – – how fast can we act to address it?
In NSW, the community housing waitlist has grown to almost 66,000 families and individuals – including more than 11,000 on the priority waitlist, meaning they are at imminent risk of homelessness. Tens of thousands of families are waiting – not just for homes, but for hope. And while both the NSW and federal governments have taken meaningful steps forward in recent years, there’s still a long way to go.
The recent federal election handed the government a clear mandate to accelerate housing reform. The choice now is whether we continue with steady, incremental steps- or shift into a higher gear and deliver the bold action our communities need.
The reality is that a slow-and-steady approach is no longer enough. In fact, it’s risky. We are entering a period of rapid and complex change, and the pressure on our housing system is only going to intensify.
A new report: Towards 2050: The Megatrends Transforming Community Housing, prepared by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney and to be released this week, explores the megatrends shaping the next 25 years – from demographic shifts and climate change to technological disruption and rising inequality. These trends will test how we live and where we live.
Far from distant hypotheticals, these changes are already under way. Our population is ageing. The digital divide is widening. Economic and climate instability are affecting where and how people live. The concentration of wealth and income inequality are forecast to worsen.
These trends will drive demand for more affordable, flexible, resilient, and inclusive housing.
Community housing must play a central role in providing that housing. Community housing providers provide long-term, affordable and secure homes for those who need it most. They build stronger communities are uniquely positioned to respond to the changing needs of the population.
Right now, there is an opportunity to respond to the challenges we can see ahead. We have federal and state governments that are committed to growing housing supply, particularly the supply of social and affordable housing. Positive changes have been made to planning laws, to better rental regulation and to improving the regulation of affordable housing.
The megatrends ahead, however, demand that we act more quickly and that we make structural reform.
Our planning system must help us build communities that reflect an ageing population and housing that embraces technological change.
We must design housing that is more resilient to climate change and build housing in a way that reduces the impact on the environment. Most of all, we need to fight against worsening inequality.
This will take political and community courage.
It must include a discussion about taxation and expenditure priorities.
The last few years have seen better responses from the federal government in relation to the housing crisis.
Coupled with a strong state government response, we have begun to lay a pathway to success.
It is time to accelerate and set ourselves ambitious goals.
Community housing providers are ready to meet the challenge, but the sector needs more than goodwill.
It needs investment, the right policies and the right vision.
If we wait, we fall further behind. It’s time to open the throttle and build the housing future NSW needs – before the road ahead gets even harder to navigate.
Media contact: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765 or or Alana Mew, 0419 929 722