With more than 3,300 people on the waiting list for social housing on the Central Coast, community housing provider Home in Place is urging people to sign a petition calling for political parties to make a real, long term, investment in social and affordable housing to tackle the current housing crisis.
The petition is part of the Confront the Crisis campaign organised by the Community Housing Industry Association NSW in the lead-up to the March State Election.
Home in Place manager of business and public affairs Martin Kennedy said with rents continuing to rise, more people than ever are struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
He said those most affected by the crisis include pensioners, young people, people with a disability, women and children escaping domestic violence but also workers who keep our communities running – teachers, nurses, aged care workers and cleaners.
“The rental market is broken, with supply falling well short of housing demand,” Kennedy said.
“Vacancy rates have plummeted across the state – in many areas, rental housing isn’t just unaffordable, it’s unavailable.
“There are already 50,000 families and individuals on the NSW social housing waitlist with waiting times as high as 10 years in some areas.”
Kennedy said the Central Coast has the second highest number of people on the waiting list in the state, with a rental vacancy of just 1.2 per cent.
The Hunter region has the highest number, with 4,500 on the list and a vacancy rate of just 1 per cent.
“Whoever governs NSW after March must have a plan to confront this crisis or more people will be forced to join the list and either live with family, friends, couch surf – or worse, live in tents or their cars,” he said.
People can find out more about the crisis and the campaign, and sign the petition, at www.confrontthecrisis.com
Home in Place is a NSW based not for profit community housing provider and a member of CHIA NSW.
It manages more than 6,600 social, affordable and disability housing properties in NSW including on the Central Coast.
Source:
Media release, Jan 11
Home in Place