Homelessness is a significant issue in the Northern Rivers, with Tweed Shire seeing the highest number of rough sleepers in NSW. The 2021 census recorded 529 homeless people in Tweed Shire and an additional 304 people living in marginal housing.
In February it was announced that 70 new housing units would be available in Tweed on Soorley Street, where a former residential village for over 55s was transformed into temporary accommodation for people with disabilities, families, the elderly or women and children fleeing violence.
‘We didn’t want to see this place lost to the private market. We stepped in and secured it because we know stable, supported housing delivers far better outcomes than emergency accommodation,’ said Minister for Homelessness Aid, Rose Jackson.
In 2024 the Chris Minns government invested 6.6 billion dollars into their effort to combat the housing crisis in NSW. It’s called the Building Homes for NSW program, and was announced in the 2024-25 NSW budget. The government says that it is the largest investment in such an effort during the state’s history, and promises to provide 8,400 new public homes, prioritising aid for domestic abuse victims. Announced as a part of the program was the Homelessness Innovation Fund, which focuses on finding and supporting cost-effective methods of homelessness prevention.
‘Housing affordability and availability is the single biggest pressure facing the people of New South Wales, but we know it is being felt acutely in our Northern Rivers Communities,’ said Premier of NSW, Chris Minns
During the Building Homes for NSW program, 13.6 million has been invested into pod villages and 1.87 into homelessness funding. By June 2027, over 355 public and community homes will be delivered in the northern rivers– which includes 133 homes in Tweed, 69 in Richmond Valley, 51 in Lismore, 52 in the Clarence Valley and 48 in Ballina.
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