Coffs housing crisis reaches ‘apex point’ as low income earners struggle

“We can’t just say the market is going to provide the solution to these problems and in the meantime there is a lot of people left effectively homeless”.

With rental listings in free fall and competition to find a home intensifying, people on low incomes are increasingly finding themselves in dire situations.

A dramatic reduction in rentals and the growing number of employed people struggling to find a home are two indications the housing crisis is reaching an “apex point” according to Anglicare North Coast CEO Leon Ankersmit.

Mr Ankersmit said the release of this year’s Rental Affordability Snapshot shows the region is finding itself in uncharted territory as it comes to grips with issues traditionally seen only in the capital cities.

“The painful image of housing affordability that we have generally in larger cities has arrived in our regions,” he said.

“While it has always been a difficult market and there has always been an element of unaffordability it’s now reaching a scale pretty well unseen in our regions.”

The 2021 Snapshot, which surveys rental listings across the entire North Coast, found the number of listings plunged from almost 1000 in 2020 to just 350.

Of the 74 rentals available in Coffs Harbour, just seven were judged as affordable for a couple with two children on the minimum wage. None were classed as affordable for those people relying on a government payment as their sole source of income.

Mr Ankersmit said the critical issues were a lack of affordable housing and an inadequate welfare safety net, adding that it was now clear even employed people were struggling.

“That threshold of affordability is now creeping up and is excluding not only people on Centrelink payments but people on low wages – and that is pretty significant,” he said.

“We are reaching a critical stage. So many people living on the breadline are just managing to survive and that has now become even harder.”

Meanwhile, the NSW Government has announced its first ever housing strategy for the state, outlining a 20-year vision for housing across NSW.

An Expert Housing Advisory Panel will be established to guide the delivery of the strategy which is slated to make better use of government owned land for housing, particularly through improved access to data.

Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh said the strategy and initial two-year action plan would deliver improved outcomes by focusing on housing supply, diversity, affordability and resilience.

“This Strategy will allow us to better plan and deliver housing that meets the needs of people on the Coffs Coast now and over the next 20 years,” Mr Singh said.

“We’ve listened to stakeholders who have told us about the importance of housing that people can afford, that is sustainable and that meets the needs of households as they age.”

“New and innovative housing will be delivered when and where it is needed, supported by sustainable technologies that can help reduce living costs.”