Homelessness NSW report paints grim picture for Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour

A new report shows more people homeless in Byron in June than Sydney – and the town’s mayor says it’s the tip of the iceberg. Data also outs Clarence and Coffs as homelessness hot spots.

“Frontline services are so overwhelmed they can only help half the people who present to them,” says Homelessness NSW CEO Trina Jones.

A fresh street count of homelessness reveals there are now more people sleeping rough in the pricey hamlet of Byron Bay than in the City of Sydney.

Byron Shire Mayor Michael Lyon described the situation as “outrageous” and said “the only people we should be bringing into the country are builders” to alleviate critical housing shortages.

The statistics released by Homelessness NSW highlight the tragedy unfolding in Byron – the celebrity hub where privilege and poverty meet the sea.

For the month of June, in the depths of winter, 300 people were counted as sleeping rough in the Byron Shire local government area – compared to 277 in Sydney City.

Regional areas fared particularly poorly – three of the five council areas recording the highest increases on 2022 figures are on the North Coast.

Coffs Harbour had 82 people sleeping rough last month, and the Clarence Valley 69.

Homelessness in the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area has spiked over the past year.

Homelessness NSW CEO Trina Jones said “in the coldest recorded June in 13 years” people were forced to bed down “on streets, in tents and park benches because they don’t have a safe place to call home”.

“This should not be happening in one of the wealthiest places on Earth,” she said.

Byron Power is home to the rich and famous and is one of the nation’s most expensive property markets.

“The rising cost of living and a dire shortage of affordable rental homes is fuelling a homelessness crisis across NSW.”

The sleep count report indicates homelessness has exploded in Byron – 138 rough sleepers were recorded in June last year.

Byron Shire Council has put a cap on Airbnb-style short term letting in a bid to increase housing stock. File image. Picture: David Clark

But the agency has noted the previous number may have been an “undercount” due to the flooding which wreaked havoc across the Northern Rivers at the time.

Mullumbimby and Brunswick Heads were not included in the Byron tally.

Fletcher Street Cottage is at the frontline in the battle to help those doing it tough.

The cottage is run by the Byron Community Centre and opened in April 2022 to address a pressing need in the wake of the devastating floods.

Fletcher Street Cottage Byron Bay is at the forefront in supporting local homeless. Picture: Tessa Flemming

“We were doing 30 to 40 breakfasts a day when we started and we’re now doing 60 to 70,” acting manager Kate Love said.

As well as providing food, the cottage is a place where rough sleepers can go for social interaction, to shower and run a load of washing.

Ms Love said the cottage can provide support services and advocacy.

“We are a first point of emergency relief and do anything we can to get that person through the day,” she said.

The brand new kitchen for breakfasts at Fletcher Street Cottage. Picture: Tessa Flemming

While Byron Shire Council provided the cottage building, the centre relies solely on community support and funding.

“We’d do a massive happy dance if that (government support) happened,” Ms Love said.

On the ground in Byron, support agencies have been keenly aware of the growing number of rough sleepers.

“We have seen this housing crisis turning into a catastrophe,” Ms Love said.

A combination of high rental costs and low stock on the market has created a housing crisis in Coffs Harbour, giving rise to an area known as Tent City. Picture: Toby Zerna

Cr Lyon said many of those sleeping rough were not “traditional homeless” – but “regular mums and dads and workers, people with a connection to the community”.

He said he suspected the actual number of those without permanent stable accommodation was much higher due to those staying with family or sleeping on couches, for example.

“More and more people are sleeping in their cars, too” Cr Lyon said.

Byron Shire Council Mayor Michael Lyon.

He believes Byron council has measures in place to address the situation locally, but warned there’s “no end in sight” to homelessness from a national perspective given plans to boost immigration.

“The only people we should be bringing into the country are builders,” he said of the need to address a chronic housing stock shortage.

Homelessness NSW is calling on the state government to lift funding for support services and build more social housing after the annual count found a 34 per cent rise in rough sleeping.

“Frontline services are so overwhelmed they can only help half the people who present to them and must make heartbreaking decisions about who to turn away,” Ms Jones said.

“We acknowledge the government’s commitment to drive homelessness numbers down and urge it to invest in the programs that work in the September budget.

“We can end street sleeping but we need to invest in what works.”