Newcastle community housing provider Home in Place says it is keen to secure funding for affordable housing under the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund and wants to talk to developers with "shovel-ready" projects.
The fund opened for applications this week, prompting Home in Place chief executive Lyndall Robertshaw to call for interested developers to reach out.
"We would love to hear from anyone interested in being part of the solution to the housing crisis," Ms Robertshaw said.
"When government funding, private developers and not-for-profit housing providers come together, great things can happen."
Ms Robertshaw said low rental vacancy rates in the Hunter were forcing people to look to a social and affordable housing system already "bursting at the seams".
"Rents and house prices have continued to rise in the Hunter with asking rents increasing by another 8.2 per cent over the past 12 months and the median rent reaching $558 a week.
"Other rising cost-of-living pressures are making the crisis worse, especially for low-paid workers and those on benefits."
"There are already 56,000 households on the NSW social housing waiting list, including 4544 in the Hunter, highlighting the critical lack of supply."
The federal government says the housing future fund will help build 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in five years.
Home in Place, formerly Compass Housing, manages more than 8000 social and affordable housing properties in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and New Zealand, including 4081 in the Hunter.
