By Emily Longhurst

Ballina’s housing crisis is intensifying, with homelessness services reporting a sharp rise in people seeking help as rental pressure across the region continues to grow.

Crisis support hub Mary’s Place has seen demand for assistance double in just 18 months.

“Eighteen months ago, Mary’s Place supported up to 40 people per day,” said Kim Kennedy, Regional Manager Homelessness and Housing at the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.

“That has now doubled, with between 80 and 100 people accessing assistance daily.”

Ms Kennedy said the surge reflects worsening housing stress across the Ballina region.

“We’ve seen a large increase in people experiencing or at risk of becoming homeless over the past 12 months,” she said.

BALLINA’S HOUSING CRISIS 

BY THE NUMBERS

• 64 rough sleepers

• $710 median rent

• 0.6% vacancy rate

• 100 people a day seeking help

The median weekly rent for a house in Ballina is now $710, based on 142 rental listings over the past 12 months.

While this represents a two per cent decrease, rental demand has surged 41 per cent during the same period, according to Realestate.com.au.

Kathy Nipperess, property manager at LJ Hooker Ballina, said the market remained extremely competitive.

“Renting in Ballina is tight and competitive,” Ms Nipperess said.

“It’s a coastal town with strong lifestyle appeal, good beaches, proximity to Byron Bay, an airport and a slower pace of life.

Kathy Nipperess

“The result is demand for rentals consistently exceeds supply.”

Competition for available properties has intensified sharply.

Rental searches have increased by 223 per cent in East Ballina and 151 per cent in West Ballina.

For three-bedroom houses, the median rent in Ballina is about $750 per week, while in East Ballina it is around $800.

In comparison, the median rent for a three-bedroom home in Byron Bay is about $1,250 per week, highlighting broader pressure across the Northern Rivers.

Ms Nipperess said several factors were driving the squeeze.

“The area attracted a wave of people moving away from city life and remote workers after COVID,” she said.

“That pushed rents higher and made it harder for locals to find affordable housing.”

The 2022 Northern Rivers floods also placed additional strain on the housing market.

“The floods displaced many households, increasing pressure on rentals across the region,” she said.

Short-term holiday rentals are also affecting the availability of long-term housing.

“Property owners can often earn higher nightly income from short-term stays,” Ms Nipperess said.

“Some landlords switch properties from long-term leases to short-term listings, removing homes from the pool available to permanent residents.”

Vacancy rates in Ballina remain extremely low.

“Vacancy rates are around 0.6 to one per cent, among the lowest in Australia,” Ms Nipperess said.

Low-income earners are among those feeling the greatest impact.

Hospitality workers, retail staff and essential workers such as nurses are increasingly struggling to find affordable housing.

Ms Kennedy said older residents and families were particularly vulnerable.

“We’re seeing an overall increase in homelessness, particularly among older people struggling to maintain stable housing,” she said.

“Families are also increasingly affected and unable to secure affordable rental accommodation.”

Pressure is also building in the social housing system.

Across NSW, 67,968 households are currently on the social housing waitlist, including 12,295 approved for priority housing.

In the Ballina allocation zone, 650 households were on the waitlist as of January 2026, including 228 approved for priority housing.

Local service providers warn that without increased housing supply and targeted support measures, more Ballina residents could face housing insecurity in the months ahead.