Anglicare calls NSW government to respond to housing crisis

Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot 2022

Anglicare Sydney today released its annual Rental Affordability Snapshot for 2022, measuring the both the availability and affordability of rental housing in Greater Sydney and the Illawarra.

The 2022 Snapshot shows the crisis in housing security that surfaced last year is deepening for those in low-income households and the most vulnerable family groups.

Anglicare CEO Simon Miller has sounded a warning in his explanation of the Rental Affordability Snapshot:

“Last year it was clear that even with Jobseeker, and the additional COVID-19 support mechanisms, affordable housing properties in the private rental market across Greater Sydney and the Illawarra were dwindling for those people with low income and relying on support.

If ever there was further evidence that the NSW Government needs to provide a further tranche of Safe and Affordable Housing construction funding to relieve this housing crisis, this 2022 Snapshot provides it. The supply of safe, affordable and appropriate housing is conspicuously low, and that is a danger to low-income earners in our City.”

Miller said: “This year, our Snapshot affirms that the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to impact the vulnerable in our society and economic recovery is still affecting those that are living on the margins.

More significantly, we can start to pinpoint issues within specific locations.

For example, in suburbs like Parramatta, there are simply no housing available for a single parent with 1 or 2 children receiving either the parenting payment benefit, Jobseeker or an aged pension.

In the outer west from Emu Plains through to Katoomba, there is no affordable housing available for any single parent or single person whether you receive Jobseeker, the various parent payments, disability payments or aged pension payments.”

Simon Miller concluded, “It’s not just symptomatic in Western Sydney either, there are pockets of evidence of rental availability and affordability issues all PAGE 2 OF 6 over Greater Sydney. This presents a real opportunity for the NSW Government to move ahead by providing the long awaited third tranche of funding for Social and Affordable housing under their long-held policy. The Employment opportunities, the community opportunities and the relief for low-income families and singles in Greater Sydney are all evident in the work done to date and any further delay is just extending the crisis identified in our 2022 Rental Affordability Snapshot”

Contact:

publicaffairs@Anglicare.org.au