The Productivity’s Commission 2026 Report on Government Services (ROGS) – Australia’s annual official data on housing and homelessness – has been released, and the picture for social housing and housing assistance remains stark.  

As at 30 June 2025, there were around 432,000 social housing dwellings across Australia, including public, community and Indigenous-managed housing. While Shelter NSW and the National Shelter network commend the Australian Government for investing in more social housing, including through the recently opened HAFF round 3, this remains very far from the stock that we need. 

Social housing makes up a tiny share of the total housing stock – about 3.6% of all dwellings – down from nearly 5.7% in the 1980s. The public housing waitlist continues to grow; with over 190,000 households waiting for a home, up from roughly 169,000 a year earlier. Worryingly, 41% of people on the public housing waitlist are homeless or at immediate risk of homelessness, up from 26% ten years ago.  
 

Support services data analysis

ROGS shows that new social housing allocations continue to be targeted to those in greatest need: around 85 % of new public and community housing placements went to households experiencing or at risk of homelessness and severe housing stress.  

Most social housing tenancies are occupied by very low-income households, and rental stress within social housing remains low compared with the private market.  

Specialist homelessness services supported many people in 2024-25, with more than half of clients needing accommodation-related help. Most people at risk of homelessness were able to avoid it with assistance, though challenges remain for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and those with complex needs.  

Despite these targeted outcomes, the data underscores a long-standing structural problem: social housing supply remains far below the level needed to meet demand, and more and more people are struggling daily to afford a secure roof over their heads. 

Meanwhile, ACOSS analysis has found that the Federal Government is spending more on tax breaks for property investors than on social housing, homelessness services and rent assistance combined. You can read ACOSS media release online, or go further and explore the full ACOSS briefing note, ‘Boost Social Housing and curb property investors tax breaks’.  

Shelter NSW, in line with the National Shelter policy platform, continues to call for measured housing taxation reform to level the playing field and support people who rent their home and first home buyers.