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NSW state government has launched its largest housing response dedicated to rough sleepers, providing $36 million into a new project to secure rental housing and support services.
The $36-million Together Home project will be a partnership between the NSW government, community housing providers, specialist homelessness services and health services.
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Approximately half of the package will purchase units from the private market and convert them to social housing units for those sleeping rough (with community housing providers to be involved in the process of managing associated properties).
The remaining funds will provide access to the services people need to maintain their tenancy, improve their health and wellbeing, and move towards training and employment.
NSW minister for families, communities and disability services Gareth Ward said the project would change the lives of people who have experienced rough sleeping, including people with highly complex needs, by rapidly securing them homes from the private rental market and wrapping essential support services around them.
“Throughout the COVID-19 response, we’ve worked hard to keep rough sleepers safe. Now we’re working to get them into homes with the support they need to rebuild their lives,” Mr Ward said.
“This is the largest single investment made to tackle rough sleeping in NSW. The response will be intensive and pack many months of work into just weeks, as we strive to transition people from temporary accommodation into secure housing.”
Homelessness NSW CEO Katherine McKernan said a housing-first model was critical to providing stability for rough sleepers, as was ongoing case management and support services, including drug and alcohol support services.
“The sector has worked hard in recent months to get to this point, and this additional funding will provide the critical next step to help secure housing and the supports people need to sustain tenancies,” Ms McKernan said.
The Community Housing Industry Association NSW welcomed the new package, with its CEO Mark Degotardi saying its members “stand ready to assist”.
“This package is a strong step forward in nullifying the negative social impacts of COVID-19, we welcome the NSW government’s investment in tackling these issues”, Mr Degotardi said.
“Community housing providers now manage over 50,000 homes in NSW. Many of our tenants have gone through tough times, so community housing providers have deep expertise in working with tenants to turn their lives around. That journey starts with secure housing for many families and we will support the NSW government’s efforts to make that a reality,” Mr Degotardi added.
Together Home forms part of the NSW government’s commitment to halve homelessness in the state by 2025.
It builds on the state government’s previously announced $34-million investment to prevent and respond to homelessness in response to COVID-19. This included an increase of $14 million to support more people with temporary accommodation, including to accommodate rough sleepers “for as long as is necessary to protect them at this time”.
According to the latest census (2016), there were approximately 2,600 people sleeping rough in NSW. However, this makes up just 7 per cent of the total number of homeless people in NSW. Approximately a third of homeless people in NSW live in severely overcrowded housing, with thousands of people on social housing waiting lists.
As such, several groups have renewed their calls for further stimulus in social housing to secure housing for NSW families in unaffordable and insecure circumstances.
“To make the effort to fight homelessness truly effective, the NSW government needs to invest in more social housing as a key stimulus measure that creates more secure homes, new jobs in construction and new economic activity,” Mr Degotardi stated.
“The community housing sector has shovel-ready projects on its portfolios that with NSW government support could drive new investment for our state and create the secure housing we desperately need.”
The St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) also welcome the Together Home announcement, with CEO Jack de Groot stating that he hoped the “additional investment will provide longer-term stability and a place to call home for people who were experiencing chronic homelessness before COVID-19.
“We know that secure housing is the foundation for being able to improve health, education and employment – the first step to getting people back on their feet,” he said.
He continued: “Ending street homelessnes has always been possible and within reach, which we’ve seen in the unprecedented response to housing people during coronavirus.
“This announcement builds on the collaborative response to supporting people at the pointy end of homelessness during the pandemic,” he concluded.
