In late June, Shelter NSW was invited to present at a meeting of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Regional Organisation of Councils (ISJROC). ISJROC members include Mayors of Wollongong, Kiama, Shoalhaven, and Shellharbour.
We know that housing stress in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region is structural (refer to our Regional Housing Need Report) and we believe that without significant government intervention at all levels, social inequality in the region will continue to worsen.
Some highlights/lowlights for the region:
- All four LGAs have very high percentages of low-income renters in rental stress and low-income mortgage holders in mortgage stress
- Whole-home Airbnb stock in some LGAs has doubled since 2018, to the detriment of longer term and more secure rental options
- Social housing waitlist numbers well-exceed 3,000 across the region
- Social housing stock has been in real decline for at least a decade in the region (range 0 to -8.1% growth in social housing stock managed by DCJ or CHPs for all four LGAs between 2011 and 2020).
We are heartened however, by the good work being done at participating Councils, such as Shoalhaven, recently pushing the NSW Government’s Land and Housing Corporation to enter into a collaboration agreement for delivery and maintenance of public housing stock in the LGA.
For more information:
- See our submission to the Greater Cities Commission on its Six Cities Vision and our submission on Wollongong City Council’s Local Housing Strategy).
- For any enquiries relating to this topic, please contact Policy Officer Kayla Clanchy (Kayla@shelternsw.org.au).