NSW Government figures reveal 2468 social housing properties sitting empty as waitlist tops 60,000

Nearly 2500 social housing properties are vacant across NSW amid a cost of living crisis that has sent the number of people on the waitlist soaring above 60,000.

Nearly 2500 social housing properties are sitting empty across NSW amid a cost of living crisis that has sent the number of people on the waitlist soaring.

NSW Government data has revealed 2468 social housing properties were vacant as of August 2024, at a time when 61,563 people are waiting for social housing in NSW – up from 57,411 just 12 months ago.

Parramatta had the overall highest number of empty homes, with 332 social housing properties vacant across the council area as of August.

Campbelltown had 240, the City of Sydney had 192, Blacktown had 190, Canterbury-Bankstown had 154, Wollongong had 129 and Newcastle had 107.

One renter, who lives in the Blacktown area and has been on the social housing waiting list for 10 years, said she was “shocked” by the figures.

More than 60,000 people are on the state’s waitlist for social housing.

“I’m a survivor of domestic violence and I’ve been told by Housing NSW I’ve been a high priority for housing for the last four years,” the woman, who requested anonymity, said.

“Have they not built any houses in that time?

Labour shortages have been partly blamed for the number of vacant social homes.

“There are so many homeless people who can’t even get into social housing and to hear that there is that many properties that are empty, I’m shocked.

“It’s hard enough securing a stable rental property these days. My rent has just increased from $650 to $750 a week.”

According to the state government, social housing properties can remain vacant due to issues ranging from fire damage to labour shortages and homes requiring repairs.

NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson said she was concerned by the high number of vacant properties and has vowed to bring the statistics down.

NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson.

“It does concern me to see vacant homes that could be used to house people in need,” she said.

“From day one, I have had restoring vacant homes in my sights as a fast and easy way to help tackle the housing crisis.

“It will take time, but it is my goal to drastically reduce the number of homes sitting empty and get restoration works happening faster.”

Ms Jackson said vacancies could occur due to homes requiring standard restoration works or to allow for major repairs to address issues like termite or fire damage.

This masthead can reveal the state government forked out $548m on social housing maintenance last financial year.

As of September 23, there were 123,446 maintenance requests for social homes classified as “unresolved”.

In the last six-month period, social housing tenants also made 2326 complaints due to issues including unfixed repairs.

Ms Jackson said the NSW Government was taking the issue of “vacant homes really seriously”.

“The former government had a model of leaving homes vacant, letting them become run down and selling them off,” she said.

“We’ve ended that and, for the first time in a long time, have delivered historic funding to invest in public housing maintenance and repairs.

“We have already brought over 300 homes back in use from the Social Housing Accelerator Fund, helping more than 700 people find a safe and secure home.

“97.4 per cent of NSW’s public homes were occupied, which is higher than the 96.6 per cent national average, but it is my ambition that we get as close to 100 per cent occupied as possible.”

Shadow housing spokesman Scott Farlow said the government should prioritise “maximising all available social housing stock”.

Opposition MP Scott Farlow.

“Recent ribbon cuttings of social housing properties were funding commitments under the former Coalition government,” he said.

“It is one thing to have funding allocations in the budget, but the government will be judged on the actual delivery of new and renovated properties to clear the backlogs in the housing waitlist.”

Last year’s state budget allocated $6.5bn towards social housing with the goal of creating 8400 new public homes by 2031, upgrading and maintaining 33,500 public and social housing properties, and supporting more frontline homelessness services.

Homelessness NSW chief executive Dominique Rowe expressed concern over the high vacancy rates.

“Every vacant social housing property represents an opportunity to provide a person or a family with a safe and secure home,” she said.

“We must do everything we can to urgently make more homes available.”

Advocacy group Shelter NSW has made a submission to the NSW Government, calling for billions in investment in the coming state budget to enable at least 5000 additional social housing dwellings to be added each year.