Homelessness getting worse: Council

In a white paper on homelessness launched in December 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd pledged to outlay $1.2 billion over four years to build new housing and increase services for the homeless.

But the City of Sydney council says the problems are actually getting worse.

There were 416 people sleeping on the inner-city streets, or in a temporary overnight shelter, when the latest count was conducted on Tuesday between 1am (AEDT) and 3am.

The count, which takes place twice a year and has been running since 2008, was conducted by 146 volunteers, including those who were or had previously been homeless.

Those sleeping rough were found in suburbs including Woolloomooloo, Kings Cross, Paddington, Glebe, Surry Hills, Ultimo and Redfern.

The figure is 22 per cent higher than those counted in February 2009.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the situation was worrying and had to change.

"Our street counts show a concerning, consistent rise in the number of people counted sleeping in our parks, streets, trains, train stations and in overnight temporary shelters since we started conducting these counts in August 2008," she said in a statement on Thursday.

She says the City of Sydney is committed to ending chronic homelessness through funding and coordinating a number of services and projects.

Despite continuing problems with issues of homelessness, welfare advocates say they're not keen to throw cold water on the government's 2008 white paper on the issue.

"It's not all talk and no action," the Wayside Chapel's Graham Long told AAP.

"And a lot of the talk is very good talk."

That said, Reverend Long said the problem could not be addressed by merely "flicking a switch".

"It's a problem that, if we are going to make progress ... it will be a progressive, slow kind of thing," he said.

"And I think most of us believe progress can be made."

Reverend Long named the adoption of the Common Ground concept, which began in New York in 1990, as a worthwhile outcome of the 2008 white paper into homelessness.

The aim of the concept is to build and operate a range of housing options for homeless and low-income individuals.

It has recently been taken up in most Australian states.

In August 2009, former NSW premier Nathan Rees announced a purpose-built building in Camperdown, in Sydney's inner west, to accommodate homeless people and people on low incomes.

The project will be based on the Common Ground model.

In 2008, Mr Rudd's wife, Therese Rein, was appointed patron of the Common Ground network in Australia.

"In one sense, it's a way of diverting money away from teaching homeless people how to play the guitar and giving them a roof over their head first," Reverend Long said.

He said people living in housing projects based on the Common Ground concept were encouraged to take an interest in their community.

"It's like (being on a) body corporate, almost," he said.

"I see that as coming out of the white paper and I see it as very positive.

"But it's only a start," he added.

Source: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/homelessness-getting-worse-council-20100225-p64n.html