Eight new social housing dwellings complete in Stannett Street at Waratah West

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said the $3.9 million development in Stannett Street contained eight homes and was one of 10 developments - worth a total of $47 million - expected to provided 138 dwellings for people in need in Newcastle over the next three years.

"We recognise the housing market is under strain which is why we are pleased to be delivering this project to help 14 people have a safe place to call home," he said.

The development includes three one-bedroom and five two-bedroom units, four car spaces and easy access to amenities and essential services, a statement released on Tuesday morning said.

The Newcastle Herald reported earlier this month that the number of people registered on a social housing waiting list in Newcastle jumped from 1277 in 2021 to 1709 in 2022. That figure increased from 668 to 816 in the same period at Maitland, and from 803 to 1120 in the Lake Macquarie area.

On Monday, the St Vincent de Paul Society urged significant new investment in social housing, citing a study the organisation commissioned which found that 5000 new social housing dwellings needed to be built annually for the next decade in order to reduce the state's waiting list by 75 per cent.

NSW Land and Housing Corporation CEO Simon Newport said on Tuesday his agency and City of Newcastle had co-operated on the Waratah West project.

"In May, a historic agreement was signed between council and the NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) to provide more and better homes for people in need, working closely to identify key areas across Newcastle which need new social housing as a priority," he said.

Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the Stannett Street development was an example of a vision of modern social housing in Newcastle.

"City of Newcastle is taking a leadership role in recognising that local government has a strong role to play in addressing housing affordability," she said.

"Social housing like these new homes in Waratah West provide an important safety net for the community, which is why this issue is a priority of the Newcastle 2040 Community Strategic Plan and the Newcastle Local Housing Strategy 2020."

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