Vinnies calls for more social housing on the Mid North Coast

Wait times vary, but for many families who have applied for housing, it will be years before they have a roof over their head.

For a one and two-bedroom property, the wait time is listed as 5 to 10 years. It will take slightly less time to get into a three-bedroom house, but the wait will still be 2 to 5 years.

However, the longest waiting list is for a four-bedroom house, with 5 to 10 years expected before applicants can expect to get housed.

Across the rest of the Mid North Coast, there are over 2000 applicants, and while the numbers are roughly the same as this time last year, there are still a lot of people on the waiting list.

In response to the figures, the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW has called on the State Government to build an additional 5,000 new social housing properties each year for the next decade to address the current social housing waitlist.

"There is a critical need for the NSW Government to take action to ensure these thousands of families have a home," St Vincent de Paul Society's Gabi Curwood said.

"Some people have to wait up to ten years for a home, and in the meantime, they are forced into insecure living conditions.

"Everybody needs a safe, stable and affordable place to live. Without a home, it is incredibly difficult for people to find or maintain work, keep up with studies or plan beyond one day at a time."

Forty-six thousand general social housing applicants are waiting around NSW, with 5,300 listed as a priority.

Each applicant represents a household, meaning the number of people, including children, who are without a place to call home could be well over 100,000 across the state.

"It was disappointing to see the funding for social housing in last year's state budget fall short of what's needed, given the increasing size of the NSW waitlist," Gabi said.

"We are seeing an increasing number of people turning to charities, like Vinnies, for assistance with basics such as food, clothing, and bills.

"With JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments set to be wound back further in the coming months, people are unsure how they will get by.

"The NSW Government needs to take more action this year to reduce the waitlist, while the Federal Government also needs to come to the table to ensure people are protected in their times of need."

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