A new report from Shelter NSW has exposed the depths of the housing crisis hitting regional communities.
The report ranked LGA’s via the amount of people on the social housing wait list, the proportion of social housing stock, along with those experiencing rental and mortgage stress.
The Central Coast was ranked the number one area of highest housing need in regional NSW. The Coast has the longest social housing waitlist in regional NSW, with a large proportion of families suffering from rental or mortgage stress.
The Member for Wyong and Show Minister for the Central Coast, David Harris MP, ‘The Coast is experiencing a housing crisis, we see it every day with unacceptable social housing waitlist times, rental costs exploding, the low vacancy rates in the region, and the median house price continuing to climb’.
‘Labor and community organisations across the state have been calling on the Government to urgently invest in social and affordable housing, and to date the Government has failed to provide the necessary investment to tackle this crisis.’
Ms Yasmin Catley MP – Member for Swansea said ‘Our local homelessness services are overwhelmed by people who find themselves simply locked out of the housing market, others are suffering significant rental and mortgage stress.’
‘It is time the Premier heard the pleas of families and community organisations across the state and took serious action to address this crisis.’
The Member for The Entrance, David Mehan MP said: ‘This report makes a lie of the government’s claim that they are addressing the need for social and affordable housing within the Central Coast Region. There is now less social housing across the Coast then there was ten years ago. This is a crisis which needs immediate action by all levels of government and I will continue to do all I can to make housing more secure and affordable for the people of the Central Coast.’
The Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch MP said ‘The Liberal Government’s policy and planning failure to address the social and affordable housing needs of Central Coast residents has been an absolute failure’.
‘The housing crisis reflects a decade of negligence from the NSW Liberal Government and has left families living in absolute insecurity as rental costs soar and availably plummets’.
