Homelessness is increasing in hotspots where rents are also on the rise, prompting calls for increased funding for support services and more public housing.
Half the people seeking help for homelessness in NSW are not receiving it due to underfunded services, the head of a peak agency for homelessness has warned.
“NSW’s housing crisis is putting huge pressure on frontline homelessness services, with many struggling to keep up with rising demand,” Homelessness NSW CEO Dom Rowe said.
Housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable across the state, driving increasing homelessness in metropolitan Sydney as well as suburban and rural areas, he said.
The Homelessness NSW analysis is based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data to December 2023.
Rowe wants increased funding for homelessness services, calling for the state to mirror a 20 per cent increase recently announced in Queensland to push an extra $72 million into services over the next 18 months.
NSW Housing and Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson said the situation needed to change.
“People with safe and secure jobs but not safe and secure housing are increasingly needing homelessness support,” Jackson told AAP.
She said contracts had been extended for service providers to strengthen support for priority applicants, such as women and children fleeing domestic violence, with eligibility expanded as part of a $224 million package investing in homelessness services and social and affordable housing in the current budget.
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