It's nothing like the stratospheric growth that's belting would-be first home buyers in the big cities, but still, it's all relative.

For those with a foothold in the market, it's a sign of economic strength on the Border that still augers well for the future.

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True, if you're looking at making the most of that by selling and upgrading, the fact is whatever you buy will also be that much more expensive.

But with the greater equity that mortgage-holders have been gifted, it's still a welcome boost.

What has accompanied that strong market though has been a similar growth in rental prices.

Not only has the cost of renting a home grown considerably, which in turn is a boon for investors, but there also isn't much to choose from.

Occupancy rates on the Border are sky high, which makes life difficult for so many.

And as terrible a situation that has created, it is no surprise that there has now been revealed that homelessness on the Border has reached a critical point.

The Border Mail has delved into the issue of homelessness many times over the years.

Four years ago there was much concern among service providers about the spectre of hidden homelessness, where people weren't sleeping rough but rather were couch surfing or making do with short-term, emergency accommodation.

What has happened now though is a perfect storm of rental vacancy rates below 1 per cent and a social housing wait of, in some areas, up to 10 years.

Indeed, Yes Unlimited's Di Glover has described the situation as unseen in her 20 years of working in the field. It is, she says, "a bad situation".

Homelessness has always been a complex issue.

But certainly, the dire level of government investment in social housing over several decades is to blame, and it's something that cannot be undone overnight.

Somehow though a way forward must be found.

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