Shelter NSW was grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this year’s SDA (Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association) Annual General Conference, held on 4 March 2026 at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle. 

Shelter NSW’s Senior Policy Officer, Thomas Chailloux, joined a housing panel with Erin Killion from the Hunter Community Alliance and SDA member Saifullah Omar Nasif. Grounded in local issues and the housing affordability pressures faced by SDA members, their families and communities, the conversation focused on what is driving the housing crisis and, importantly, what practical solutions could start to turn things around.  

The SDA represents workers in retail, fast food, warehousing and distribution. Many of these jobs are low paid or insecure, which means a lot of SDA members are already feeling the pressure of rising rents and limited housing options. 

Thomas spoke about the need for long term investment in social and affordable housing, stronger protections for renters, and changes to the tax settings that are currently pushing up prices. The discussion kept coming back to how we move beyond talking about the crisis and deliver real change.

ust as important was the chance to talk directly with SDA members. Conversations with workers from the Newcastle and Hunter region highlighted how tough things have become locally, with rents climbing, very little available housing, and people being pushed further away from their communities.

These conversations are a reminder that solutions need to reflect what is happening on the ground in different places, not just at a state level. The conference also marked the launch of the SDA’s new housing campaign, showing a growing appetite for action on housing affordability. Shelter NSW is keen to continue to work to build broad coalitions to address housing affordability issues, and working more closely with unions is one of the avenues that we are exploring.

More information and campaign tools are available on the SDA website.