Continuing budget constrictions mean social housing is falling as a percentage of overall housing stock, and that means more housing problems for poor people, says Shelter NSW commenting on the NSW budget.
This year’s total social housing budget is $622.3 million, down from $642.9 million last year.
After nearly a decade of Commonwealth funding cuts the Department of Housing is just managing to tread water, and this is to its credit,” said Shelter NSW Executive Officer, Ms Mary Perkins, today.
But it is simply not keeping pace with rising demand and population growth. Social housing as a proportion of the overall housing stock is declining. And this at a time when housing affordability has reached an all time low.
This year there will be a slight decrease from 671 to 604 properties to be bought or built by the department of housing . The total number of units of accommodation will rise by only 220. This is a lot less than the 5000 to 6000 new properties per annum built or bought a decade ago.
This is insufficient to meet the needs of either the 85,000 on the waiting list or of a growing population.
The government’s First Home Plus scheme of stamp and mortgage duty exemption for eligible home buyers will provide assistance totalling $276 million -- but this measure will not solve the problem of housing affordability for many low income earners, for whom homeownership is a faded dream.
Without more money social housing will continue to decline and housing need will deepen. The State government has made significant gains from the housing boom via taxes on property transactions. Shelter NSW calls on it to put substantially more money in from its own resources for those most disadvantaged by escalating housing costs.
“There is a need to invest in a viable and sustainable social housing sector– including public, community and Aboriginal housing,” said Ms Perkins.