Providing stable housing is a pathway to address child poverty: Anti-Poverty Week 2023

The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW is calling for more action on housing this Anti-Poverty Week as part of the solution to address child poverty.

Research conducted by ACOSS and UNSW found that 1 in 6 children are currently growing up in poverty. They face the highest rate of poverty of any age bracket throughout the state, according to reporting from NCOSS.

Whilst many factors contribute to child poverty, social housing is an essential safety net for people who cannot afford or sustain housing in the private market.

“Housing is the greatest cost of living. If we want to help address poverty, we need to ensure that people have a stable start in life through housing,” said Yolanda Saiz, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO.

Figures released from the latest Census found that 1 in 4 people without homes are children under 18 years. Homelessness among the national population increased by 5% from the previous Census –the number of homeless children alarmingly increased by 12% during the same period.

Close to 57,000 applicants are currently on the waiting list for social housing in NSW, while median rents across the state have increased by more than 10% over the past 12 months.

The Society commends the NSW Government on the recent funding and initiatives in regard to social housing and homelessness, and wants to work with government for larger investment in social and affordable housing and rental reforms to meet the pressures of the current crisis.

“We know that providing families with safe, secure and stable housing is essential to ensuring the collective wellbeing of a society,” said Ms Saiz.

“Our members and staff are hearing daily stories of families seeking support from our services because the cost of living is making it near impossible for them to afford to house and feed their children,” said Paul Burton, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW State Council President.

“We are in a crisis right now and things will only get worse without more social and affordable housing and reforms to give renters greater stability,” said Mr Burton.

Anti-Poverty Week runs from 15-27 October 2023.