Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion MP says South Australia has recorded its first net increase in public housing stock this century, marking a major milestone for the Malinauskas Labor Government after years of decline and sell-offs.
According to data released overnight in the Report on Government Services 2026, South Australia delivered 158 additional public homes in 2024 to 25, the first time a material net increase has been recorded this century.
Champion said, “The Malinauskas Labor Government stopped the mass sell-off of public homes and brought back the Housing Trust. Now, after a busy four years of building homes for South Australians, an independent report has confirmed that our ambition to record a net increase in our public housing stock has been achieved.”
The result reflects what the government describes as the most significant investment in public housing in decades. In total, 868 new public homes have now been built and completed by the SA Housing Trust, with a further 225 homes currently under construction and due to be finished by March. Once completed, the total will meet a key election commitment to deliver 1,090 new public homes within this term of government.
The net increase comes despite several large-scale urban renewal projects that temporarily reduce public housing numbers while ageing stock is demolished and replaced. One of the most significant examples is Seaton, where older homes are being replaced on a one-for-one basis with new, modern dwellings.
The latest figures also build on the completed Public Housing Improvement Program, which returned 350 previously vacant homes back into service and delivered upgraded amenities across more than 3,000 tenanted public housing properties statewide.
Beyond raw housing numbers, the report places South Australia ahead of the rest of the country on several key measures. SA is now the best performing mainland state for social housing provision, with 550 social housing dwellings per 10,000 residential dwellings, well above the national average of 380.
South Australia also performs strongly on access and equity. The median wait time for newly allocated public housing households sits at six months, compared with a national average of nine months. The state has the lowest proportion of overcrowded households in public housing nationally and sits above the national average when it comes to prioritising allocations for those in the greatest need.
“We are delivering more homes to the South Australians who need them most,” Champion said. “It is testament to our government’s investments in public housing and to the hard-working SA Housing Trust staff.”
“We will build on this incredible momentum and continue to ensure that access to housing is central to a fair and inclusive society.”
