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.

Cessnock ranked as the third highest need housing area with Newcastle in fourth, and Maitland in seventh. The Lake Macquarie LGA was found to have the second longest waiting list for social housing in regional NSW, While Cessnock, Newcastle, and Maitland have high levels of households under rental or mortgage stress.

Ms Yasmin Catley MP – Shadow Minister for the Hunter said ‘The Hunter 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’.

‘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.’

‘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.’

‘It is time the Premier heard the pleas of families and community organisations across the state and took serious action to address this crisis.’