There are fears more people will be without a home as new data shows over a million more social houses are needed to meet demand, despite vacant homes scattered throughout the city.
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Research from a report commissioned by Community Housing Industry Association NSW and Homelessness NSW found Australia will need 728,000 social housing properties and 295,000 affordable rental homes by 2036.
Wagga Women's Health Centre crisis and support worker Julie Mecham said the already long waiting times and lack of housing that is available is putting stress on vulnerable groups in society.
"From our perspective we recognise that there are a range of issues and housing is a primary safety issue for women," she said.
"One of the tactics that is often used when men use violence against women is financial abuse so that essentially means for a variety of reasons, women don't have access to money.
"It's certainly tied in with safety, domestic violence and finding suitable safe accommodation is an ongoing issue."
Ms Mecham said the data concerns her as so many extra homes are needed in less than 20 years.
"The fact is that families come in a range of sizes and shapes and we need to make sure that particularly vulnerable women have a safe place to call home," she said.
"Housing services do a lot to make sure that women feel safe in those homes; that they wouldn't choose a house that is beside the cousin of the perpetrator, or one that doesn't have ramps or sufficient bedrooms for the children.
"There's a range of reasons why not all houses are suitable for all tenants and part of this relates to us being a regional area, because there isn't the same access to a nearby suburb in metropolitan areas where there's a number of resources there as well."
On the NSW housing register there are 48,337 applicants, with 318 people in Wagga waiting to be housed while facing up to five years to be homed.
Ms Mecham said crisis accommodation only provides short term stays and can be inadequate for women.
As at 30 June 2018, NSW had a recorded public housing occupancy rate of 98.1 per cent, compared with a national average of 97 per cent.
- Department of Family and Community Services
"In 2016 there was a housing reform and that was about addressing things like safe housing for women to stay in refuges," she said.
"For crisis support at the moment, the service link to home will provide a couple of nights at a motel or caravan park, which is inherently precarious for many women, including those with children through the inability to cook and be able to sustain.
"It's a complex issue and I know the state government was talking about making changes to that so that there was suitable crisis accommodation that met the needs of the people accessing it, but we haven't seen any changes."
The Department of Family and Community Services spokesperson said they are working "promptly" to ensure a fast turnaround of vacant properties to hose vulnerable people.
"Where a property is vacated, FACS, like a private landlord, has a responsibility to ensure that the property is clean, safe and habitable before it is re-let," the spokesperson said.
"As at 30 June 2018, NSW had a recorded public housing occupancy rate of 98.1 per cent, compared with a national average of 97 per cent.
"FACS is building new social housing delivering more and better housing for tenants and NSW families on the waiting list."
The Communities Plus $22 billion program, part of the NSW Government's Future Directions for Social Housing in NSW strategy, is expected to deliver 23,000 social housing, 500 affordable housing and 40,000 private housing dwellings over 10 years.
The spokesperson said with the demolition of the Tolland and Ashmont properties, FACS will undertake an assessment to see if there is capacity and capability to construct the homes.
"FACS provides a range of housing subsidies to meet the needs of vulnerable people," they said.
"FACS works closely with specialist homelessness services to assist people into housing.
"This may include temporary accommodation, assistance into the private rental market or entry into social housing."