Homelessness NSW is calling on the NSW Government to urgently act on short-term rental accommodation reforms after a year of delay.
In early 2024, the NSW Government launched a review into potential changes to short-term rental regulation - but with more than 430 submissions and 2,400 survey responses received, there has been no further public update on the review's progress.
Homelessness NSW CEO Dominique Rowe has written to Ministers Rose Jackson and Paul Scully, urging them swiftly match Victoria's 7.5% levy on revenue collected by short-term rental accommodation providers such as Airbnb, Expedia and Stayz.
"The housing and homelessness crisis is severe and devastating. We cannot afford a go-slow approach to reform," Ms Rowe said.
"Every day of delay is another day that people are forced to sleep in cars and tents and women and children are trapped in unsafe homes because they have nowhere else to go.
"A levy on short-term accommodation would encourage long-term rental availability and would raise much-needed funds that should be directed to overwhelmed and under-resourced homelessness services."
In NSW:
- 67,900 people sought help from homelessness services last year, with thousands turned away due to a lack of funding
- Rough sleeping has increased by 51% in the past four years
- The social housing waitlist has reached 64,280 families and individuals
"Homelessness is rising at an alarming rate, particularly among First Nations people, young people, and survivors of domestic violence," Ms Rowe said.
"We are seeing a severe shortage of affordable rental properties, pricing more and more people out of the private market and into homelessness. The government must act now to turn the tide on this crisis."
