Housing Shortage – Bleak Figures

THERE is chronic shortage of rental accommodation throughout the Upper Hunter Shire area and the average waiting time for social housing is a up to two years at best and more than 10 years in some towns. 

See the latest data below.

Today, to mark World Homelessness Day, St Vincent de Paul, is urging residents to sign a petition for the government to build more housing.

Lee Watts, manager of the Scone Neighbourhood Resource Centre said finding housing is even more difficult for people living in country areas.

Lee Watts, manager of Scone Neighbourhood Resource Centre speaking with Mac Dawson from Ray White Scone.

“There is just not enough housing available for people and it’s not as simple as being in the city where you can just move a few suburbs over to find somewhere,” said Mrs Watts.

“And we have really limited public transport, so if you work in Scone and your children go to school here, you can’t just catch a train from other towns down the valley,” she said.

“We want to have more people living here and it’s hard when they find work here, but can’t find anywhere to live,”she said.

“It is a problem we have had for decades and it is getting worse,”

“We need the government to buy more properties here to rent out, not just build more houses in Sydney,” Lee Watts said.

Jack de Groot, NSW CEO of St Vincent de Paul said there are more than 10,000 people on the waiting list for social housing. 

“That’s why Vinnies has launched Build Homes, Build Hope, a new campaign calling on the Government to build an extra 5,000 social housing properties per year for the next decade,” said Mr de Groot.

“Social housing accounts for only 4% of Australian homes, whereas in the UK it’s 16%. We’re failing people on low incomes,” Jack de Groot said.

The average wait times for people needing social housing in the Upper Hunter:

Aberdeen:

• 2 bedroom: up to 2 years
• 3 bedroom: 2 to 5 years
• 4 + bedroom: up to 2 years

Merriwa:

• 2 bedroom: 10+ years
• 3 bedroom: 10+ years

Murrurundi:

• 2 bedroom: 2 to 5 years
• 3 bedroom: 2 to 5 years

Scone:

• Studio / 1 bedroom: 2 to 5 years
• 2 bedroom: up to 2 years
• 3 bedroom: 2 to 5 years
• 4+ bedrooms: 5 to 10 years