Frustration as hundreds of Wagga homes lie empty and abandoned despite housing, homelessness crisis

The derelict buildings constantly irritate the Tolland resident, particularly when others desperate for somewhere to live are forced to sleep in tents at Wilks Park.

"It's frustrating because some of these houses have been empty for more than six months," Mr Jones said.

"If they're going to demolish them, why don't they put people in there in the meantime?"

There were 2005 unoccupied private dwellings across the Wagga local government area on census night last year, despite the housing crisis gripping the region.

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Mount Austin resident Karen Prowse, a major advocate for the city's homeless population, said it was "disgusting" to see so many perfectly good homes go to waste.

"There's one right across the road from me that has been vacant since before Christmas," she said.

"People are having to live at Wilks Park when we've got all these empty houses - why haven't we got them in there?"

Many of the city's vacant homes are rundown and likely not in a liveable condition, off the back of vandalism and months of being left deserted.

Ms Prowse said this could have been avoided if the owners of the homes acted faster in securing tenants.

"They let them sit there until people destroy them and then it costs more money to fix them," she said.

Wagga's homelessness issue has been brought into the spotlight in recent weeks, after about 30 residents living at Wilks Park were given eviction notices.

The decision sparked an outpouring of support from the community as well as a stoush between Wagga City Council and the state government.

Ms Prowse said she mentioned the myriad of vacant homes across Tolland to homeless residents in the park and many said they would be delighted to live in them if given the chance.

"It's safer than where they are now and they'd at least have running water and heating because they definitely wouldn't have that right now," she said.

Simon Freemantle, the managing director of PRD Real Estate Wagga, said only 0.05 per cent of his agency's rent roll are currently vacant - suggesting most of the empty homes in Wagga must be off the market entirely.

"I'd suggest a number of the houses [the census] is referring to would be in need of some form of repair or renovation," he said.

"The usable houses in Wagga seem to be well-occupied."

He said the rising demand for short stay accommodation could also be behind the number of vacant homes.

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