ORANGE families wanting to move into two-bedroom government houses are being forced to wait up to 10 years for one to become vacant, according to new figures released this week.
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According to data from the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, the wait time for a one, three or four-bedroom social housing property is between two and five years, but the wait for a two-bedroom place is five to 10 years.
Housing Plus chief executive officer Karen Andrew said as the population continued to age and family sizes became smaller, demand for two bedroom properties had increased.
She said a range of different housing solutions were needed to address the problem, including the private sector construction of second dwellings on residential blocks.
“I think in the future it’s really important to be able to utilise land well,” Mrs Andrew said.
“Everyone wants to live close to town but there’s only so much land.”
As of June 30 this year Housing Plus had 1215 rental properties in Orange, 964 in Dubbo and 793 Bathurst.
With more properties available for rent in Orange than Dubbo and Bathurst, Orange had a smaller wait list, with only 284 people waiting for a property allocation.
As of June 30, there were 522 people in Dubbo waiting for a home and 291 people in Bathurst.
Mrs Andrew said Housing Plus wanted to ensure there was a diversity of housing options available.
“From our own perspective we are currently finalising our development plans for the next three years and we are looking at more two bedroom social and affordable housing,” she said.
Mrs Andrew said long waiting lists for accommodation could cause a host of problems including relationship breakdowns.
“Sometimes people are forced to live with family or friends or share houses in the private market,” she said.
“They may also be forced to couch surf or live in housing that’s not affordable for them.”
Mrs Andrew said a lack of appropriate housing was particularly difficult for children.
“Housing is critical for an individual’s wellbeing,” she said.
“[Lack of it] places a big stress on the family unit and it’s a very difficult position to be in.”
Mrs Andrew said children often found it hard to maintain their education and friendships if they constantly moved.
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au
