New Homes Delivered for Residents in Crisis

BY OLIVIA DILLON

A new social housing development has been completed in Newcastle. 

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin announced yesterday, the completion of the $3.9 million project on Stannett Street in Waratah West. 

The development includes three one-bedroom and five two-bedroom units, as well as parking for four cars, sun shades, and easy access to parks, bus stops and essential services. 

It will provide eight homes, helping 14 local residents put a roof over their heads. 

The news comes amid a housing crisis across the Hunter region and the state. 

Recent figures indicate there are more than 50,000 people on the NSW social housing waitlist, with 4,500 of those coming from the Hunter. 

Additionally, rental vacancy in the region sits at just 1%. 

Mr Martin said the Waratah project is just one of ten developments which make up a $47 million pipeline for Newcastle, aiming to provide 138 homes for Novocastrians over three years. 

Essential workers among those who can't afford rent

BY OLIVIA DILLON 

According to new research, essential care and service workers across regional NSW are facing a rental affordability crisis. 

Everybody's Home, the national campaign against homelessness, cross-referenced SQM rent data with the basic hourly wage of workers in disability support, aged care, childcare, hospitality and supermarkets to calculate the percentage of essential workers' wages which are being contributed to rent in regional NSW. 

The analysis has revealed the Hunter as one of the 78 geographic regions in the country where an essential care or service worker would need to spend between one-third and two-thirds of their normal working week’s wages, to rent an apartment. 

Close analysis of the data shows in fact, COVID-essential workers in the Hunter region must work half the week for 19 hours simply to cover the cost of rent. 

Everybody's Home national spokesperson, Kate Colvin, says the current housing system is failing normal Australians. 

"The pandemic has reminded us how critically important our carers and service workers are. Yet these pandemic heroes are being badly let down by the housing system and are often priced out of the communities they serve," she said. 

"Every community needs it's childcare workforce, every community wants lots of people working in the supermarket and needs people in aged care. So it's important that there's housing that people can afford when they're working in these important jobs." 

Ms Colvin said the warping of the rental markets in regional areas is largely due to people with large incomes moving away from the city. This has meant essential workers are being increasingly priced-out of the coastal and bush communities which they could once afford. 

She said in order to prioritise these workers, both state and federal government must invest in social and affordable housing. This would relieve the pressure on the rental market and give Australians on lower incomes more options. 

"These are the people who got us through the pandemic. We must find a way to let them live close to their work." 

Essential Workers Face a Rental Affordability Crisis

Community Calls To Use Tomaree Lodge As Emergency Housing

BY DAKOTA TAIT

There's a new push to use the now vacant Tomaree Lodge as crisis accommodation for local families in need of a home.

The former disability care centre has been empty since the last residents left last month. 

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington says she'd like to see Tomaree Lodge put to good use while the Government sorts out the future of the site.

"The people that are really struggling are those that are vulnerable, there are people sleeping rough, there are families sleeping in tents," Ms Washington said. 

"This is my proposal for the Government that we utilise the vacant homes sitting at the Tomaree Lodge site just as a short-term solution to help us through."

The Yacaaba Centre and Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Service has backed the idea, while the Shoal Bay Community Association says they'll support the proposal if logistical issues are ironed out.

It's understood there's also concern about the Government's plans ahead of community consultation. 

"Going forward, we need to ensure that the future of the site is determined by community with the support of Government," Ms Washington. 

"So far, Government has not advised any of us of its plans for the site, and the community's very concerned about the future and the security of the site."

Ms Washington says the proposal would be a great outcome for the heritage site.

"It seems like a sensible solution to offer emergency housing for families that are struggling at Tomaree Lodge to assist in this crisis," Ms Washington said. 

"We want the Government to come on board with community to ensure that decisions are being made with us to get the best outcome for that really special site."

Image credit: https://trra.com.au/

New Report Predicts Homelessness To Rise by 40 percent in Newcastle, over Next 12 months

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Equity Economics report ‘A Wave of Disadvantage Across NSW: Impact of COVID-19’ released today by NCOSS predicts in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie homelessness is set to increase by 40.5% within a year.

Homelessness in the Hunter is set to have proportionally higher increases than other parts of NSW, reflecting already high levels of homelessness and higher local increases in unemployment.

More than 10,000 people are now on the waiting list for social housing in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, with concerns this number could increase by 40 percent over the next six months.

Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery says at the current rate of construction, it would take 37 years to build enough public housing properties to clear the backlog in her electorate alone.

"There's been a long time since Government has really built specifically public housing," Ms Hornery said. "It's a priority, and the Government, all levels of Government, need to make sure funding public housing and building public housing, which is a great way to employ people as well, is a priority for them." 

Ms Hornery says the current waiting times for public housing are "unacceptable" and will put thousands of vulnerable Australians at further risk.

"If you don't have a home over your head, then you have nothing really," Ms Hornery said. "Not only does homelessness in itself create a great deal of difficulties and problems for people, it's terrible for children, and it also means it's very hard for people to get jobs."

Mark Degotardi, CEO of the Community Housing Industry Association NSW, says the housing crisis is a "looming catastrophe" which may put 88,000 families in housing stress over the next 12 months.

"Before COVID-19 community organisations and the property sector were calling for 5,000 new social housing properties a year over the next decade," Mr Degotardi said. "That need is even more pressing now - this report shows when this recession reaches its peak, thousands of struggling families may have nowhere to go."