Port Stephens faces severe affordable housing shortage

Affordable rental housing has nearly vanished in Port Stephens, where council figures indicate such homes make up less than 0.001 per cent of the region's total housing stock. A draft Port Stephens Affordable Housing Action Plan (AHAP) reveals that more than 22,000 local households qualify for affordable housing under state government income thresholds, yet a 0.8 per cent vacancy rate means no such housing was available when figures were collected.

Economic pressures are mounting as the median rental cost rose by $300 over five years to $670, and median house prices increased by more than $180,000 to $942,000 between 2021 and 2026. Council estimates suggest 11,000 new dwellings will be required by 2040.

Social service providers report being overwhelmed. Ann Fletcher, assistant manager at Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services, described the situation as a ‘perfect storm’ driving people toward homelessness. She noted that demand for support frequently exhausts annual funding by February, and that the demographic of those seeking help is shifting to include middle-income earners with steady jobs.