The NSW opposition has obtained documents under freedom of information laws that reveal the extent of social housing sales in the Hunter.

Those documents reveal $19 million dollars’ worth of social housing sales in the past two years in the Hunter, despite the social housing waiting list ballooning out to over 60,000 applicants amid the escalating housing affordability crisis.

“Hunter residents face a 10 year wait to access social housing,” Shadow Minister for the Hunter Kate Washington said.

“The [NSW] Government has privatised the management of the Hunter’s social housing properties and many residents fear the Government will sell off their homes next,” Ms Washington said.

NSW needs 100,000 new social and affordable houses over the next 20 years just to keep up with current levels of demand, according to community housing experts.

Shadow Minister for Social Housing Tania Mihailuk said that the NSW Government should be focussing on increasing the supply of social and affordable housing options rather than selling off existing stock.