Half of NSW’s homelessness services are forced to lock their doors due to overwhelming demand as the number of people in homelessness surges to 80,000, a report has found.
The research by Impact Economics for Homelessness NSW surveyed 22 services around the state over 12 days in November.
It found that:
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Half of organisations had at least one occasion when the front entrance had to be closed, with an average closing time of two hours
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Three quarters had at least one occasion where they were unable to answer the phone
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Three fifths had at least one occasion where they were unable to read or respond to social media, email or other messages during the day
On average, organisations were forced to shut their front doors on almost a quarter of days they reported.
Two organisations needed to close their doors for seven to eight hours and three organisations were forced to close the front doors on every day they reported.
The report estimated the number of homeless people in NSW is now 80,000 - a significant increase from the 35,011 recorded in the 2021 Census. A further 700,000 are at risk of homelessness.
“From Bega to Byron Bay, homelessness services are facing overwhelming demand all over our state,” said Homelessness NSW CEO Dominique Rowe.
“Frontline workers are doing everything they can, but the system has stretched so far it is now breaking. Behind every missed call could be a woman trying to escape domestic violence or a teenager in desperate need of a hot shower or a meal.
“When services have to shut their doors for hours at a time, people fall through the cracks, and the human cost is devastating.”
Kristie Clifton of Salvation Army said: “Every time the phone rings out or the front door has to be shut, our staff are heartbroken. We know someone is reaching out at the most difficult time of their lives, and we simply don’t have the capacity to help.
“People are coming to us exhausted, frightened and out of options. Frontline teams are doing everything humanly possible, but the reality is we cannot keep the doors open without urgent investment.”
The research also found NSW’s funding for homelessness services is the lowest in the country, at $37 per person, compared to $75 in Victoria and $91 in Tasmania.
“Current funding levels are not allowing our brilliant services to do their jobs,” said Ms Rowe.
“We urgently need a 50% uplift in core funding for the sector, equivalent to an additional $247 million a year. This is a modest amount that would make a real difference to people’s lives. There are few better ways to spend taxpayer money than making sure people aren’t forced to sleep on the streets.”
Contact details:
Charlie Moore: 0452 606 171