There wasn’t too much to see for social justice advocates and housing policy specialists in the 2026/2027 NSW Budget. Shelter NSW welcomes the NSW Government’s significant investment of $184.1m in specialist domestic and family violence services – a 50% increase in core funding across 6 programs – recognising that sustained funding for frontline services is essential to improving the safety of women and children and responding to long-standing unmet demand across the sector. But this investment does not fully acknowledge the close relationship between domestic and family violence and housing insecurity, with access to safe, affordable and secure housing being an increasing barrier to people leaving violent situations, or another extremely difficult challenge at a time when victim-survivors seek to escape violence and rebuild their lives.

The failures of the NSW housing system are long-standing, deep, and severe. The changes and realistic solutions that will end homelessness and housing insecurity exist, away from private market supply ‘hopium’: building more and upgraded social and public housing, stronger regulation of the private rental market, and a fully funded homelessness services system focused on prevention and early intervention. To be implemented, they will require sustained, at-scale investment, year after year, after year.

We know of NSW Government’s commitment to take action to fix the housing system, end homelessness, and work towards better housing outcomes for all. Given the absence of any additional meaningful measures or new significant investment in non-market housing, Shelter NSW will reserve its commentary on the housing policy agenda of NSW Government to a later stage.

With a state election around the corner, we expect that all major political parties, including the current government, will soon be making announcements about their policy priorities, and the solutions they propose to address inequity, in housing and beyond. Shelter NSW is getting ready to release its election platform, by the end of winter, and we will put all members of parliament, candidates, and public figures to ‘the housing test’.

We look forward to hearing more from NSW Government and others about what they plan to do to address the severe impacts of an unjust and malfunctioning housing system, such as significantly expanding social and public housing stock, better delivering on poorly understood Affordable housing – especially via the planning system – increasing baseline funding for homelessness services (and investing some more in prevention), and ensuring a levelled playing field and a fair go for all.

Until then, our message will be the same as the one of the NSW 2026/2027 Budget where it comes to housing: Not much to say, for now.