Churches across NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia own 28.4 million square metres of land – much of it close to town centres, public transport and community services – that could add “tens of thousands” of new homes to the country’s vastly undersupplied stock of social housing, former NSW planning minister Rob Stokes says.

Even if only 10 per cent of the 9850 properties counted in research – likely understating the actual total – were developed, whether solely as rental housing for low-income people or with a mix of market housing to subsidise the cost, it could be a game changer, he said.

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