Ms BYRNES (Cunningham) (11:51): It gives me great pleasure to rise today to speak to the motion that's been moved by the member for Higgins. I would like to commend the member for Higgins for so eloquently outlining our government's ambitious housing agenda, which will boost supply of all housing, with more social housing, more affordable housing, more homes to rent and more homes to buy. I think it would be of benefit to the chamber, particularly to those on the crossbench and to those in the other place, to hear what my community has been saying to me. Like many other members, I have had many meetings and discussions with housing and community organisations during the winter recess. There is a very clear and consistent message: people are doing it tough, and we need social and affordable housing. We have had 10 years of neglect, and here in New South Wales we finally have state and federal Labor governments who are keen to tackle this problem.

The level of engagement I have had with housing, business, community and social service organisations on this issue reflects the scale and the urgency of the problem we face, particularly in the Illawarra. Business Illawarra recently released their advocacy report Solutions to the affordable housing crisis in the Illawarra Shoalhaven. It was compiled by planning experts Judith Stubbs and Associates, in partnership with key regional experts. The report predicts:
… approximately 11,645 additional dwellings may be needed by 2041 … To maintain the existing regional average of 5.8% 3,925 dwellings would need to be social housing.
That's from Judith Stubbs and Associates 2023.

In June the Wollongong Homeless Hub reported that homelessness in the Illawarra has reached critical levels, with a 75 per cent increase in the number of people who sought help in the month of May. I have recently become a collection centre for nonperishable goods for donation to assist the homeless hub. The CEO of the homeless hub told ABC Illawarra on 22 June:
Every delay means that there's thousands of people without a home, so for every week that we go without any new legislation passed, then it means people are currently sleeping on the streets that don't need to be.

This is not a lone voice; it is part of a very loud chorus, including Narelle Clay AM, who is CEO of Southern Youth and Family Services. I spoke with Narelle recently at the opening of a new $10.5 million 20-unit social housing project in Warilla by Minister Tanya Plibersek. Completed by Southern Youth and Family Services, it is jointly funded by both the state and federal governments. Narelle asked me to convey the following message to the House:
There is a dire need for social housing everywhere—everyone knows this.
Southern Youth and Family Services just opened 20 new units in Warilla and already there are more applications than units—there is no problem filling them.
We could fill 200 more right now.
This was funded half by the Commonwealth and half by the State and we are so appreciative of this grant funding. This is a way to support small and medium sized community housing providers to build capacity and contribute to solving this problem.
Housing is essential—it is a human right—not a way to make a profit and so we need our Government to do more.
The Federal Government has recently provided $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator extra funding to the states and this is well received and will make a difference.
But we need the funding for the Housing Australia Future Fund—it saddens me to know this is real funding and could be already out there assisting our communities and yet it is held up in the Senate.
No one in need of housing would agree with this delay. It's shameful and ludicrous.

Those were Narelle Clay's words. She also said:

I don't disagree with the sentiment that we need more than the Housing Australia Future Fund offers but we must start somewhere. We cannot have this stall while "politics is played". Get the funding out, let it start helping, and then let's get more.
We need many years of concerted capital and funding initiatives to address the homelessness and social and affordable housing crisis—let's get on with it.

The longer we delay the further we will see the consequences. Supported Accommodation and Homelessness Services Shoalhaven Illawarra, SAHSSI, have seen their waitlist again grow exponentially, with 131 women needing domestic violence support in Wollongong and 89 women, with and without children, needing a crisis bed. They have told me that it's not uncommon for women and their children to wait up to five weeks for a crisis bed. In this time they are either couch surfing, staying with family and friends, or, in desperation, returning to the perpetrator.