A housing crisis is gripping our state.

Under the National Housing Accord, NSW has committed to delivering 377,000 new homes by 2029.

This means the state needs to average roughly 75,000 new homes per year to meet this target.

However, recent completion rates have been much lower, with around 45,000 homes completed annually in recent years.

NSW government data shows approximately 78,000 homes were completed statewide since July 2024, but the state remains behind the pace needed to meet long-term targets.

This proves the present system, which is overly reliant on the private sector banging up tens of thousands of affordable homes all across NSW, has failed.

And with population growth figures pointing to a total of 9 million people by 2029, this will become a more acute issue.

Already, homelessness services are reporting significant increases in people seeking assistance.

In the Inner West, a relatively affluent area, people receiving homelessness support rose from 1251 to 1496 in one year. In Canterbury-Bankstown, the number rose from 1877 to 2063.

As someone raised in public housing, I am determined that our State Government play a greater role in getting roofs over more people’s heads.

Our members in Homes NSW know that public housing has been neglected by successive state governments.

The Minns Labor Government has a chance to reverse this decline and start constructing safe, affordable homes for those who need them.

NSW had about 110,800 public housing homes in 2014, but that fell to about 95,800 by 2023, a decline of roughly 15,000 dwellings or about 14 per cent.
In this time, the NSW Government has sold or removed more public housing than was built. This needs to be reversed.

The private sector and community housing providers are simply falling short of the goals required to address this pressing issue.

In addition, the Government can be more stringent when issuing planning permission, demanding a greater, and loophole-proof, percentage of affordable housing in large developments.

Our members in agencies such as Homes NSW and the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure have the knowhow and skills to make homes more affordable and cut the number of people sleeping rough, couch-surfing or, even worse, staying in violent relationships.

Our members are there, ready and waiting to help. They just need more support from our state’s leaders.