A recent count of rough sleepers in NSW recorded 1,623 people compared to 1,207 people last year, with 300* of those people in the Byron Shire.
The count showed that regional areas are particularly affected with not only Byron Bay, but the Clarence Valley, Eurobodalla, and Coffs Harbour joining City of Sydney in the five areas with the highest increase.
Homelessness NSW CEO Trina Jones said in the coldest recorded June in 13 years people are bedding down on streets, in tents and park benches because they don’t have a safe place to call home. ‘This should not be happening in one of the wealthiest places on Earth.
‘The rising cost of living and a dire shortage of affordable rental homes is fuelling a homelessness crisis across NSW.
Frontline services overwhelmed
‘Frontline services are so overwhelmed they can only help half the people who present to them and must make heartbreaking decisions about who to turn away.’
For the local count Byron Shire Council worked alongside the NSW Department of Communities and Justice to carry out the street count in the early hours of 23 and 24 February 2023.
The Byron Shire recorded the highest number of people sleeping rough in the state, ahead of City of Sydney which recorded 277 rough sleepers.
Heartbreaking but no surprise
Byron Shire Mayor, Michael Lyon said this is heartbreaking but not really a surprise given the housing emergency of the last few years, exacerbated by Covid and the floods. ‘We have an urgent and immediate need for assertive outreach services and supportive housing options in the Byron Shire.
‘We are hopeful that the NSW State Government can find money and resources to address the challenges facing some of the most vulnerable members in our community.
‘We cannot solve homelessness without more housing, it’s that simple.’
Homelessness NSW today said that the government must lift funding for homelessness services and build more social housing after the annual street count found a 34 per cent rise in rough sleeping.
Trina Jones said Homelessness NSW acknowledges the government’s commitment to drive homelessness numbers down and urge it to invest in the programs that work in the September budget.
An end to street sleeping
‘We can end street sleeping but we need to invest in what works. The Together Home Program supported over 1,000 people off the streets into safe homes. It’s funded for those currently in the program until next year but doesn’t have the resources to accept new people into the program.
‘We are calling on the NSW Government to embed this program in an ongoing way to support people to access a safe home with support to keep it.
‘The government must also urgently invest in more social housing which has been allowed to plunge over the past decade to historically low levels with waiting times blowing out to more than 10 years.’
Actively working on local solutions
While housing and homelessness is the responsibility of the NSW Government, Byron Shire Council has been actively working on local solutions to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Shire.
Two Public Space Liaison officers walk the streets and dunes each week to help connect people sleeping rough with the services they need.
Council has also created a community-based Collaboration Project which aims to reduce and end rough sleeping.
Using data, including people’s individual circumstances and background information the Collaboration Project is changing how local organisations work together to support people experiencing homelessness.
Cr Lyon said Council is doing everything it can to generate more affordable housing in the Shire. ‘We have introduced planning and development provisions that support affordable housing, such as rezoning of Council-owned land to enable this use, and implementation of the affordable housing contributions policy and scheme to support the development of permanent affordable and diverse housing.’
Increase net stock of social housing
Homelessness NSW is calling on the state government to increase net stock of social housing from 4.7 per cent to 10 per cent and to properly fund homelessness services to meet rising demand.
Byron Council says it will continue advocate to return short term rental housing (STRA) to long-term rental options for the community.
The Independent Planning Commission recently handed down its report and recommendations to the Minister for Planning, which supports Council’s aim to find a way to return more affordable options to the long-term rental market.
Council is liaising with the Department of Planning and the Minister on the next steps in this process.
*Note: the 2022 figure did not include people in Brunswick Heads or Mullumbimby because of extreme weather.
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