ACCORDING to Everybody’s Home, the national campaign to end homelessness.

Australia’s underinvestment in social and affordable housing is worsening the housing affordability crisis on the NSW Mid North Coast and aggravating the cost to other areas of the Federal Budget.

SQM Research data shows rents for all houses and property prices have surged across the region over the past twelve months.

• In Port Macquarie, rents have increased by 18.6 percent and property prices have climbed by 39.8 percent
• In Coffs Harbour, rents have increased by 25.1 percent and property prices have climbed by 16.3 percent
• In Kempsey and Crescent Head, property prices have skyrocketed by 53.2 percent
• In Bellingen, property prices have increased by 31.8 percent; and
• In Nambucca Heads, property prices have increased by 10.3 percent.

An Everybody’s Home Budget position paper, released last Friday, says at least 25,000 new social housing dwellings are needed across Australia to help end the crisis.

The Budget Position Paper includes previously unreleased modeling which shows underinvestment in social housing is causing foregone public sector cost offsets and private sector benefits of $676.5 million per annum currently, rising to $1.286 billion per annum in 2036.

These take the form of added costs addressing homelessness, mental health, domestic violence, alcohol/substance abuse, but also reduced household spending and lower community wellbeing.

The submission also notes that constructing 25,000 social homes per year would generate an annual economic output of $12.9 billion, and create 15,700 jobs.

The paper makes the case for expanded social and affordable housing, to give people on low and modest incomes greater housing choice.

It also notes the steep decline in federal funding for social and Indigenous housing which in 2013-14 was over $2 billion, but is only budgeted at $1.6 billion in 2023-24. Indexed for inflation it should be $2.7 billion.

In 1994, social housing made up six percent of all housing.

Today it is just four percent.

Kate Colvin, national spokesperson for Everybody’s Home, said an investment in social housing was urgent and worthwhile.

“A secure home is the foundation for stability and security.

“It means you can look after your health, tend to your family, join the workforce and contribute to society.

“Without a home, none of these things are possible.

“As our leaders put the final touches on the Budget, they need to be aware of the full benefit of social housing as well as the deep human cost of not providing people with a home.

“The surging rental and property markets are swallowing up ever larger chunks of household budgets.

“Some regions of Australia, such as Tasmania, or the NSW and Queensland coasts have seen rents surge more than 20 percent.

“This is not just breaking family budgets, it’s pushing families into homelessness.

“Australia’s common prosperity is best served by a housing system that gives people on low and modest incomes genuine choice and provides them with security and stability. The increasingly brutal financial contest for housing is simply indecent.

“We can do better.”