Homelessness has been an ongoing concern for communities and service providers in Western Sydney, who are reporting dramatic increases in the numbers of people seeking homelessness services. In NSW, five of the ten local government areas with the greatest increases in homelessness numbers are located in Western Sydney.
The NSW Government has recently released a draft of their new ten-year NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2035. Western Sydney Community Forum welcomed the opportunity to contribute to Homes NSW’s consultation process on the draft Strategy, and put forward a submission with the following five recommendations:
- Endorse guiding principles which embody a housing first and human rights-based response to homelessness.
- Adopt a systemic approach that addresses the structural issues contributing to the occurrence of homelessness through coordination between service systems and investment in key areas.
- Recognise the impact of diversity and intersectionality on people’s risk of homelessness, their needs and the type of support they require.
- Invest in coordinated wrap-around services that work together at the local level to support people who are at risk, have experienced, or are currently experiencing homelessness; and
- Implement specialised training and professional support to ensure the workforce is strong and capable.
