Tamworth Evening Country Women's Association brings attention to social and affordable housing crisis

Tamworth Evening CWA president Sue-Ellen Hogan is one of those bringing the situation to light, and said there are a number of reasons older women may find themselves without a permanent place to stay.

"There's a few reasons around that, domestic violence of course can be a huge issue for women, needing to get out of a violent home or step away from a violent home," she said.

"Less access to finance is also a huge reason we're seeing women in that demographic being the largest cohort."

Looking at changes to superannuation access is something Ms Hogan believes would make a difference.

This is because women statistically work less across their lifetime than men, leaving them less funds to draw upon once they're retired.

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The need for more social and affordable housing in Tamworth has been a hot topic for some time now, with local housing groups and MP Kevin Anderson making clear a long-term strategy is needed.

Given the rate of the region's growth, the problem is more prevalent locally than in other areas however, prompting calls for short-term fixes to also be thought about.

The latest data released by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice show that as of June 2020, there were 498 people or families waiting for social housing in Tamworth.

Whether it be a one, two, three or four plus bedroom house, the waiting time is listed as between two to five years. Of the nearly 500 applicants on the waiting list, 15 were named as priorities.

"They're families or households that really need accommodation urgently, and unfortunately that waiting list is just too high," Ms Hogan said.

The CWA state branch has joined forces with a range of housing groups to push for the recommendation that 5000 new social housing properties be built every 10 years, to help keep up with demand.

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