Ballina Council has moved to draw a clearer distinction between homelessness and anti-social behaviour, declaring that rough sleeping is not an offence as it puts a new homelessness strategy out for public comment.

For four years Queer Family Inc has lived the perilous life of a homeless community organisation – bouncing from one temporary venue to the next, sometimes without anywhere to stay at all.

Homelessness Week is now under way, with the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW revealing that close to 2,400 people were unable to access its homelessness and housing services in the past year, primarily due to services operating at capacity.

Homelessness Week starts today and runs until 9 August. Tweed charity Head Over Hooves is focusing on those experiencing homelessness and hardship, together with their pets, via their Lend A Paw program and the forthcoming canine social event of the year, the Lend a Paw Doggy Fun Day, which will raise much needed funds to help people and pets in need.

Older women are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis and financial insecurity. They are the fastest-growing group of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Ending rough sleeping is no small challenge for Byron Shire and the Northern Rivers but that is the aim of the Ending Rough Sleeping Collaboration and the release of the 1,000 Voices Byron Shire report just released.

The annual Winter Warmer Homelessness Relief campaign, hosted by Dharma Care, will return for 2026 with cabaret at Salt, Kingscliff, on Thursday 2 July, headlined by comedian Mandy Nolan, interactive performance artist The Space Cowboy and the Kinship Doobai Dancers, with a Welcome to Country from Aunty Jackie.

Every Tuesday there is a safe women’s space provided from 1pm to 3pm at Fletcher Street Cottage, 18 Fletcher Street, Byron Bay that now includes a free women’s clinic for women and their children.

As homelessness continues to be one of the major challenges facing the community in the Northern Rivers, Lismore City Council is hoping to be part of the solution by offering new incentives to encourage the development of granny flats.

The state member for Ballina says she is reluctant to take sides in a recent stand-off between local homeless people and the NSW government.