Almost a third of households on NSW's social housing waitlist are seniors

The NSW Government announced on Thursday, 14 May, it is building more than 50 social housing projects to provide over 1,100 new homes for older residents.

Since April 2023, 356 new homes for seniors have been completed, including in the Sydney suburbs of Rosemeadow, Merrylands, and Matraville, said the state government.

Seniors housing is purpose-designed for people aged 55 and over, with improved accessibility for people with restricted mobility and within 850 metres or walking distance of transport and services.

The suburb of Riverwood, 19km southwest of Sydney’s CBD, is the latest to see investment in seniors housing, with two projects underway:

• Hardwicke Street – a new three-storey 29-unit complex with 14 parking spots under construction to provide housing for around 50 older residents once complete by mid-2027.
• Munmurra Road – construction on track to deliver 16 public homes that will be ready for up to 28 senior residents to move into by August this year.

"Almost a third of households on our social housing waitlist are seniors — in Riverwood that number is even higher with more than half of the waitlist aged 55 or older," Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said.

"That is why we need to invest in social housing that is safe, secure and can accommodate the needs of older Australians.

“We often see community opposition to social housing based on stereotypes about tenants but the truth is, many of these new homes will go to women aged over 55, who are the fastest-growing group at risk of homelessness.”

NSW Department of Communities and Justice state publicly over 65,500 people are on the wait list for social housing as of 30 June 2025.