NSW Government puts focus on helping the homeless find accommodation

GOVERNMENT workers are “riding the rails” through the night to tackle the state’s homeless crisis head on and find vulnerable people somewhere to sleep following a Daily Telegraph report on Sydney trains becoming a shelter of last resort for the homeless.

GOVERNMENT workers are “riding the rails” through the night to tackle the state’s homeless crisis head on and find vulnerable people somewhere to sleep.

It comes after The Daily Telegraph last month revealed trains were becoming a shelter of last resort for the homeless after authorities had a new mandate to stop the needy from loitering at the CBD’s Central Station.

How The Daily Telegraph reported the story last month.

FACS minister Pru Goward joined the night crew on Thursday to help get support for homeless people.

Over the past month FACS teams have ridden 16 rail services and provided temporary accommodation to 13 people who had been sleeping on trains.

Ms Goward said her teams were not taking no for answer by using an “assertive outreach” method where they persisted even when homeless people claimed they didn’t want help.

FACS Minister Pru Goward led an intensive outreach at Central station on Thursday night. Picture: Christian Gilles

She rode the Central to Newcastle line with a FACS team as another group rode from Central to Kiama.

FACS spoke to 28 rough sleepers around Central Station and on trains, of which 18 accepted accommodation.

Ronald Trudgett is homeless and rides the train to Newcastle. Picture: Christian Gilles

Remo Magam is homeless and sleeps near Central Station. Picture: Christian Gilles

Those that accepted help will now be assessed for long-term social housing.

“We’ve realised that these people don’t believe anybody wants to help them they don’t want to know the world and we’ve realised the only way to reach them is for us to step into their space, which is against all the instincts of polite human interaction, where you’re encouraged to leave people alone. If they don’t want to be bothered, don’t bother them. Whereas here we bother them and we persists until we can engage them,” Ms Goward said.

“Agencies who deal with homeless people have told me sometimes it will be three and a half years before the homeless person will speak to them. Well we’re not having that, we’re going to speed that process up and what we’ve learnt is that people do actually want help is they have just lost all belief in themselves and other people to ask for it”.

Ms Goward said the assertive outreach approach also included a focus on “wrap around services” like mental health and financial management support to ensure people stayed in accomodation and didn’t end up back on the streets.

The FACS team with Ms Goward ahead of riding 10:47pm train to interview homeless people. Picture: Christian Gilles

When asked about police telling homeless people to move on from Central station, Ms Goward said it was important passageways were kept clear for “safety”.

She said police were supporting FACS workers in their outreach efforts.

Homelessness NSW chief executive Katherine McKernan said an increase in social housing was needed, with research showing 5000 new homes were required each year until 2026.