Homelessness Count Reveals Need

Volunteers recorded 399 people sleeping rough in CBD and inner city parks, streets, trains, train stations and temporary shelters. This compares with 342 rough sleepers counted during the summer Street Count in February this year, and 354 in last year's winter count.

The Street Count reinforces 2008/09 data from the City's Homeless Persons Information Centre (HPIC) showing 66,610 calls - a record in

25 years of operation and over 13,000 more calls than in the previous year. More needs to be done to support Sydney's homeless people, particularly as economic pressures and extreme stress in the housing market continues.

Together with the State Government, Council jointly funds homelessness brokerage, street outreach and the Homeless Persons Information Centre. Our draft Affordable Rental Housing Strategy aims to achieve the Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision goal of 7.5 per cent of City housing being social housing, and 7.5 per cent affordable housing.

Together with Housing NSW, the City will soon tender the Assertive Homeless Outreach Program for rough sleepers in inner Sydney. The Program will build on the successful work of the Inner City Homelessness Outreach and Support Service.

I welcome the NSW Government commitments in its new Homelessness Action Plan 2009-2014, including:

• an inner city Hospital Emergency Department worker to coordinate discharge for homeless people;
• expanded temporary accommodation;
• expanded Rent Start Rental Subsidy to help women and children leaving domestic violence;
• expanded Special Assistance Subsidy for people with disabilities and people with HIV/AIDS;
• reviewing Housing NSW procedures to make sure that homeless people can get housing;
• evaluate and continue the Homelessness Intervention Project focussed on rough sleepers, which has focussed on Woolloomooloo; and
• a commitment to housing people leaving out of home care, correctional and health facilities.

The successful Kings Cross Youth at Risk Project, which I've asked to be continued, will be incorporated into a new Inner City Supportive Housing and Support for Young People Project to provide case management and support for young homeless people.

The NSW Government announced it will go ahead with a Sydney Common Ground initiative for supported housing for 90 homeless people, with onsite living skills, health, welfare, training and employment services. The Government has chosen a site in Camperdown.

Information on Homelessness Action Plan

www.housing.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/070B5937-55E1-4948-A98F-ABB9774EB420/0/ActionPlan2.pdf

Source: CLOVER'S eNEWS  - Friday 28 August 2009 - No. 462