The National Social Justice Stocktake Report asked people what social issues concern them and how these issues will affect their decisions during the forthcoming election.

Mental health was the top social justice concern in the Riverina with 58.7 per cent of respondents rating it number one.

LikeMind clinical services manager Chloe Foster has seen that concern in the form of increased demand for mental health services.

"We've had bushfires, we've had this pandemic, economically things have not been great ... there's lots of different factors, it makes sense that [mental health] would be number one," she said.

"Regional areas are disadvantaged in a lot of ways. It's very hard to get access to things like psychiatry compared to metro areas," she said.

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The second most pressing issue for people living in the electorate was housing affordability, with 56.7 per cent of respondents, followed by alcohol and drug misuse (55.8 per cent), family violence (44.2 per cent) and homelessness (26 per cent).

The report estimates that 300 people are experiencing homelessness across the Riverina and there is a shortfall of approximately 2300 social housing properties in the electorate.

Anglicare child and family services Riverina coordinator Jasmine Woodland said some families were struggling to achieve even the most basic standards.

"Housing affordability in regional areas is just ridiculous, as are the waiting list for social houses, let alone private rentals.

"We're seeing a lot more people couch surfing, living in their cars and living along the river banks in tents. More people are suffering."

Mrs Woodland said the last few years had been a "rollercoaster" for many families in the area.

Some actually fared much better during the height of the pandemic as COVID-19 payments allowed them to eat well and to pay bills on time.

"Payments stopped, everything reopened and the cost of living rose dramatically, so it's now worse than prior to COVID," she said.

Ms Foster said that from her experience, the top social justice concerns in the Riverina were all closely linked.

"During the pandemic people were losing their jobs ... being financially disadvantaged, the flow on from that is people turning to drugs and alcohol, so it all kind of links, it's a tapestry of disadvantage," she said.

For Mrs Woodland, the report is a timely reminder to those contesting an election.

"As a community and a country ... as voters, as decent human beings, we need to be supporting the more vulnerable," she said.

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