Media release
25th March 2024
On the first anniversary of the election of the Minns Government, CHIA NSW has released new data analysis showing NSW remains one of the lowest investors in social housing in the country.
“The Treasurer has the opportunity to right this wrong in the upcoming State Budget, by investing in the social housing our state needs,” said Mark Degotardi, CEO of CHIA NSW.
The new analysis shows NSW remains near the bottom of the ladder, following recent social housing funding announcements by state governments in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
“We have the longest social housing waitlist in the country with almost 58,000 families and individuals waiting – and yet we are investing the least, ahead of only South Australia and the ACT,” said Mr Degotardi.
“Families in NSW put their trust in the Minns Government one year ago. It’s now time for the Government to repay that trust. The Premier has clearly acknowledged there is a serious housing crisis- now is the time for action and strong investment in the social and affordable housing that is desperately needed.”
Recent modelling by SGS Economics, commissioned by CHIA NSW, revealed that the NSW Government could build tens of thousands of social and affordable homes by investing $2 billion per year over the next five to address the escalating crisis.
The injection of funding would deliver 25,000 social and affordable homes across Greater Sydney and regional NSW over five years while the NSW Government could save up to $1 billion over five years by partnering with community housing providers to deliver half of these homes.
“The opportunity is right in front of the government. NSW has the largest, most capable community housing industry in Australia. Partnering with not-for-profit community housing providers to build more homes that families desperately need is exactly what the community expects from the Labor Government.
“If the NSW Government is serious about getting the 58,000 families and individuals off the social housing waitlist and into homes, it can make a significant start by making the investment and working with community housing providers to build more homes for less,” Mr Degotardi said.
TABLE 1: SOCIAL AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEW SUPPLY FUNDING, PER CAPITA
| Jurisdiction | Population | Proportion of population with unmet housing need | Recent funding commitments | Commitments per capita |
| Northern Territory | 252,473 | 10.8% | $5,290,000,000 | $20,953 |
| Tasmania | 572,780 | 6.2% | $1,500,000,000 | $2,619 |
| Western Australia | 2,878,563 | 5.4% | $2,600,000,000 | $903 |
| Queensland | 5,459,413 | 7.8% | $4,850,000,000 | $888 |
| Victoria | 6,812,477 | 5.9% | $5,300,000,000 | $778 |
| ACT | 466,813 | 3.1% | $345,000,000 | $739 |
| South Australia | 1,851,704 | 5.5% | $474,700,000 | $256 |
| NSW | 8,339,347 | 7.3% | $1,667,800,000 | $200 |
FIGURE 1: PER CAPITA SOCIAL AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDING IN NSW RELATIVE TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS
Source: CHIA NSW – original data analysis – March 2024.
Based on the Productivity Commission’s (2024) Report on Government Services, Part G: Housing and Homelessness, Table 18A.1, Part G, Section 18; City Futures Research Centre (2022) Quantifying Australia’s unmet housing need: a national snapshot, and State and Territory funding and new supply announcements on social and affordable housing (2022-24).
Media contact: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765