Home Truths, a report published by Western Sydney University’s Centre for Western Sydney, casts a bleak outlook for the region’s lack of social and affordable housing, with data indicating a housing crisis is well and truly in full swing.

Published at the back end of 2023, the report outlines what has brought the crisis to a head. Low property completion rates, soaring housing costs and a lack of meaningful progress on social and affordable housing development have all played a role in a rising demand for government housing.

The paper makes it clear just how far behind local, state and federal governments are on housing targets, with an estimated shortfall of nearly 76,000 dwellings, which could rise to over 160,000 by 2041 if the issue is not addressed. Some 8,500 new dwellings a year must be made available year on year to meet the 2041 demand. Even today, social housing waitlists in Western Sydney can be longer than a decade.

“The current housing crisis is not an abstract concept for many people in Western Sydney. Hushed conversations around the dining table reverberate across the region, as families are faced with impossible choices to survive,” says Western Sydney University Chancellor Jennifer Westacott AO, a former resident of social housing.

“There is a moral imperative to urgently address this crisis, as well as the economic reality that if left unchecked, both in Sydney’s west, and the nation will slowly grind to a standstill. This report paints a stark picture.

“It demonstrates, in real terms, the shortfall in social and affordable housing in the region and reveals the work we need to collectively do to rebuild this critical safety net for those in the community who need it the most.”

Five recommendations have been made by the report’s Author, Tom Nance, to governments on all levels. These include properly defining affordable housing, adopting clear targets, getting the mix of dwellings right, housing key workers, and tracking the overall impact of the creation of new dwellings.

“It is no secret that Western Sydney will absorb the lion’s share of the state’s growth over the next twenty years, its competitive housing market becoming even more crowded,” Westacott continues.

“Some may view this as a challenge, due to the region’s socio-economic realities and demographic idiosyncrasies. I see it as a once in a generation opportunity to establish Western Sydney as a place of housing innovation, a place where all levels of government, developers, industry partners and universities work with the community to ensure that residents can access high quality social and affordable housing.”

The report from the Centre draws on a thorough examination of government literature and policies at both state and federal levels to establish context. Qualitative data pertaining to housing in Western Sydney was sourced from Australian Bureau of Statistics and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

SGS Economics contributed quantitative data on housing stress, rental affordability, and social and affordable housing demand, with the Centre for Western Sydney personnel conducting further analysis and synthesising insights in this comprehensive report.

To read the report in full, click here.

Jarrod Reedie

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