Media release

6 July 2023

Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) has called for urgent investment in social and affordable housing to address the growing housing crisis, as new data released today shows rents in Sydney rose at the fastest rate in 20 years.

“Without urgent action from the NSW Government families in our state are heading towards catastrophe,” said Mark Degotardi, CEO of CHIA NSW.

“To take the pressure off families and the rental market, we need urgent investment in social and affordable housing,” Mr Degotardi said.

“The evidence of the housing crisis couldn’t be clearer. Month after month rents continue to climb, vacancy rates remain at some of the lowest rates we have on record and we have a social housing waitlist in NSW with  58,000 families and individuals waiting for help.

“It’s time to confront this crisis head on and the first priority is to build the social and affordable housing our state desperately needs,” said Mr Degotardi.

“The Federal Government has recently invested $2bn in social housing.  That investment is welcome, but it is not enough.  This housing crisis demands that the State Government makes its own sustained and significant investment in social and affordable housing.”

Key findings from Domain’s Rent Report include:

• Rents for a unit in Sydney have surged by 27.6 per cent over the past year.  
• Sydney unit rents have soared by $145 per week over the past year,
• Asking rent for the median apartment in Sydney reached a record $670 per week, an increase of 8.1 per cent over the June quarter alone
• About 127,000 additional dwellings will be needed this financial year alone.

The peak community housing body said that chronic neglect of social and affordable housing was one of the key factors behind the housing crisis.

“Social and affordable housing has been underfunded by successive governments for more than a decade. This kind of housing takes the pressure off the private rental market, and ensures there is a safety net for families struggling in a cost of living crisis,” Mr Degotardi.

“It’s time to cease the neglect of this critical infrastructure, by urgently investing significant funding in social and affordable housing so we can start building the homes families in NSW need.” Mr Degotardi said.

Media Contact: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765

Media release

17 June 2023

The Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW) says the $2 billion funding for building new social housing and refurbishing existing homes announced today by the Prime Minister is a welcome and timely step for addressing the housing crisis.

“There are 58,000 families and individuals in NSW on the social housing waitlist, who will be feeling some relief today that the Federal Government is committed to tackling this unprecedented crisis,” said Caitlin McDowell, Head of Policy at CHIA NSW.

“Significant investment in social housing is critical and this is a fantastic start. But we also need to see long term, ongoing investment to increase social housing supply,” said Ms McDowell.

The Social Housing Accelerator Fund will see $2 billion divided between the states and territories on a per capita basis. This is in addition to the previously announced $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund.  

CHIA NSW has called for the Social Housing Accelerator Fund to be used to deliver social housing through community housing providers.

“Community housing providers are not-for-profit organisations that have a demonstrated track record of delivering and managing high-quality homes for people in greatest need,” said Ms McDowell.

“Community housing is the most cost-effective model available to governments to deliver social housing, as we re-invest savings into more supply. By partnering with community housing providers, we can ensure that more individuals and families on the wait list will have a safe, secure and affordable place to call home.”

Media Contact: Tanya Evans, 0424 156 146

Media release

06 June 2023

The Reserve Bank’s decision to increase interest rates will further heap pressure on families who are struggling to stay afloat in the private rental market and demonstrates the acute need for investment in social and affordable housing, said the Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW).

“Twelve interest rate rises in the space of one year is bad news for vulnerable renters who will be pushed into more dire situations,” said Caitlin McDowell, Head of Policy at CHIA NSW

“Renters will ultimately bear the brunt of rate rises as landlords increase rental prices which have already surged high enough to push unprecedented numbers into severe housing stress.”

“In Sydney, the average tenant is already paying over $700 a week in rent. That is completely unaffordable for so many families and individuals in NSW.”

Ms McDowell said that building social and affordable housing in NSW was crucial for alleviating some of the pressure families in NSW are facing, with more interest rates rises predicted.

“Recent decades have seen chronic underfunding of social and affordable housing in NSW. But the new State Government can alleviate the housing crisis families in NSW are facing, by making a significant investment in social and affordable housing,” said Ms McDowell.

Media Contact: Tanya Evans, 0424 156 146

Media release

30 May 2023

New data released today has revealed the dire situation in the private rental market which is only expected to worsen unless an urgent and significant investment is made in social and affordable housing, warned the Community Housing Industry Association NSW (CHIA NSW).

The research by ANZ and Corelogic showed lower-income tenants need to pay over half of their income to service a new lease, putting them in severe financial stress and housing vulnerability. Key findings include:

• Lower income households in regional NSW are spending almost 57% of their income on rent
• Median income households in Sydney are spending over 31% of their income on rent
• Median income households in regional NSW are spending over 35% of their income on rent.

The peak community housing body cautioned that due to the rental crisis in NSW, more people are being forced into unsuitable living situations and homelessness.

“We’re on the cusp of winter, meaning those struggling to pay rent in the private market will need to make impossible decisions between heating, eating, and remaining housed. With vacancy rates across NSW at record lows, households are facing unprecedented challenges in securing rental housing, let alone rental housing they can afford,” said Caitlin McDowell, Head of Policy at CHIA NSW.

“For lower income households that are eligible for social housing, the waiting list for social housing is at nearly 58,000 individuals and families. The waiting list increased by 15 percent in the last year and we know it will only continue to grow due to a lack of social housing supply.

“We know that the best time to start confronting the housing crisis was yesterday but the next best time is today,” said Ms McDowell.

“We would like to see sustained and significant investment from the NSW Government in social and affordable housing to be delivered by community housing providers. Community housing providers are non-profit organisations who build communities and offer the most cost-effective way of getting vulnerable people into safe, secure and affordable homes,” said Ms McDowell.

Media Contact: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765 

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