THERE are currently over 640,000 Australian households whose housing needs are not being met, and the number is set to jump to 940,000 by 2041, according a new report by Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) that also identifies the locations in which most people suffering from housing stress.
The analysis, undertaken with the UNSW City Futures Research Centre, is based on 2021 Census data and shows around one in 15, or 6.6% of households, are not in appropriate housing.
These Australians were either experiencing homelessness, in overcrowded homes or spending over 30% of their income on rent.
“The Commonwealth has laid important foundations for expanding social and affordable housing and it is reassuring to see them seriously grapple with this challenge,” CHIA CEO Wendy Hayhurst said.
“However we will need to muster additional investment from all levels of Government and superannuation funds to meet this challenge. It is hard to think of a higher priority than giving all Australians a stable and secure home.”
The worst-affected area in Sydney were the south west region, taking in Fairfield and Liverpool, with 12.7% (18,600 households) of households’ needs not being met, followed by 10.6% (18,100) in Parramatta, and 10.2% (21,500) in the inner south west.
The overall pattern in Sydney was a slight increase in unmet need, mostly tracking with population increase, but the south west was the stark outlier with a significant increase of 28% in unmet need between the two census counts.
North-eastern NSW returned the highest percentages, including Coffs Harbour-Grafton (9.2%), followed by Richmond-Tweed and the Mid North Coast.
Melbourne’s west is the worst-affected part of Victoria, where 6.9% or more than 20,000 households, are not appropriately housed. Melbourne’s north west (6.7%) is next, followed by the south east at 6.6%.
In regional Victoria, Ballarat and Shepparton are at around 6%.
“Victoria has the lowest proportion of social housing in the country. We urgently need governments to provide a clear, long-term funding pipeline for social and affordable housing beyond the Big Housing Build,” CHIA Victoria acting CEO Jess Pomeroy said.
“The Victorian Government can help achieve this by spending $6 billion on 20,000 social homes over the next decade.
“It can also leave a 2026 Commonwealth Games legacy by working with not-for-profit community housing organisations to ensure the athletes’ villages are fit for long-term social and affordable housing.”
Australia is playing catch up when it comes to providing social housing. The nation’s social housing stock has plummeted to 4.2%, which is 2.9% below the OECD average
Logan-Beaudesert led Queensland locations with the highest rate of households whose needs are not being met, with 10% – or 12,500 households – not being appropriately housed. Moreton Bay North and the Gold Coast are second with 9.9%, followed by Ipswich with 9%, and Cairns at 8.9%.
Q Shelter CEO Fiona Caniglia said Queensland faces high net inward migration, which is adding pressure to the market.
In Western Australia, the worst affected local government area is Wiluna, where 47.5%, or 100 households, are not appropriately housed. This is followed by Menzies (45.5%), Laverton (42.5%), Murchison (39%), and Upper Gascoyne (27.5%), with the top 10 are all regional areas.
The state electoral seats with the highest percentage of households facing unmet need included the south west’s Mandurah, Dawesville and Bunbury, as well as Premier Mark McGowan’s electorate of Rockingham.
The growing northern suburbs of Adelaide are the worst impacted area in the state, with 6.3% of households not having adequate housing.
