Pressure on NSW’s housing market is well documented, but new data shows renters in the New England North West are facing some of the harshest conditions in the state.
Anglicare Sydney’s 2026 Rental Affordability Snapshot, now in its 16th year, reports its most severe results to date, showing full-time work is no longer enough for many households to secure affordable housing.
Key findings for New England North West
Over the weekend of 14–15 March, just 381 private rentals were advertised across the region — a limited pool underscoring tight supply.
- Only 10 per cent (39 properties) were affordable and available for households on income support, down from 12 per cent in 2025.
- Minimum-wage earners remain largely priced out, with 56 per cent of rentals unaffordable. A single full-time worker on minimum wage could afford just 4.5 per cent of listings.
- No rentals were affordable for a single person on JobSeeker or Youth Allowance, or for a single parent with two children on JobSeeker.
- A person on the Disability Support Pension could afford just 0.8 per cent of available rentals.
Anglicare Sydney Group Executive of Housing Rob Stokes said the findings highlight a worsening reality for regional renters.
“The great Australian dream used to be having a house to call your own, near family and friends, and close to work. Now people are lucky to find a rental that doesn’t immediately tip them into financial distress,” Stokes said.
“Even if you’re earning minimum wage, imagine how many listings you have to scroll past to finally find one you can afford, and when you turn up there’s an enormous line just to get a viewing.
“That’s not the great Australian dream, it’s a nightmare and it is only getting worse,” he said.
The Snapshot shows the New England North West is grappling with a persistent supply–demand imbalance, with rental availability still well below pre-COVID levels.
“To see the New England North West rental market in this state is concerning. Anglicare is calling on the government to use this Budget cycle to make a meaningful difference to protect what is a human right, to have a safe and secure place to live,” Stokes said.
“Anglicare has been studying Rental Affordability for nearly two decades and all we have seen is the issue escalate and spread.
“The time has come for us to stop circular debates about supply vs demand and instead make policy changes to ensure every Australian has the opportunity to have housing security, rather than be filled with dread about how they will afford to keep a roof over their head, if they can find one at all.”
Anglicare Sydney is calling for targeted reform to address conditions in regions like the New England North West, including:
- Expanding social and affordable housing through tax reform, new supply of 10,000 social dwellings annually, prioritising government land, inclusionary zoning, and stronger partnerships with community housing providers.
- Increasing financial support for renters by lifting JobSeeker and Youth Allowance, boosting and re-indexing Commonwealth Rent Assistance, investing in wraparound services, and strengthening renters’ rights.
- Prioritising vulnerable groups through expanded crisis and transitional accommodation, improved support for people experiencing homelessness and victim-survivors of domestic and family violence, support for older Australians at risk, and enabling “meanwhile use” of vacant or underutilised properties for transitional housing.
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