Sydney’s housing crisis: Homeless woman living in a tent in a park warned she could be moved on

Homelessness in NSW has spiked to record highs as the cost of living crunch drives more people on to the streets – but even then some are facing eviction.

Homelessness in NSW has spiked to record highs as the cost of living crunch drives more people on to the streets – but even then some are facing eviction.

Kerry Rosse, a woman trying to work her way out of a tent in a Sydney park and into a rental says she has been warned that the local council wants her gone in as little as four weeks.

Ms Rosse – who appeared on The Daily Telegraph front page in May in a story about the city’s working homeless – is now racing against the clock to find a place to live.

A Missionbeat case worker this week informed her of the Inner West Council’s move.

In a statement, the council said Ms Rosse had “not been given any direction or deadline to leave”.

That is technically true at the moment, but appears set to change within days.

Kerry Rosse is homeless and lives in a tent in a park in the Inner West. She makes and sells jewellery to support herself and a little dog. Picture: David Swift

Ms Rosse said Missionbeat had told her a council officer would soon come to the park, escorted by the police, to give her written notice.

That will be the first direct contact she has had with the council since setting up her tent early this year.

The council did not deny it recently began installing signs at Enmore Park and elsewhere that warn “camping or staying overnight” is banned and that fines apply.

The council said “building new public housing is the real solution to homelessness,” and that it recently put forward “ten car parks and depots to state and federal governments for conversion to public housing.”

Ms Rosse said that after being informed by Missionbeat that the council wanted her out of the park, she was offered 28 days’ emergency accommodation.

Tents pictured in Enmore Park in Marrickville. Picture: Damian Shaw

However, she would prefer to stay in her tent – not permanently, but for slightly longer than four weeks – while she saves more money for rent.

Ms Rosse works for a jeweller and sells her own jewellery to passers-by, as well as at Newtown train station plus online.

Ms Rosse said she ended up sleeping on the street after being released from hospital following a brutal assault and robbery on the morning she arrived back in Sydney from Melbourne, where she had lived during the pandemic. At the time she had not arranged permanent accommodation – just an Airbnb for a few days.

All it can take to end up homeless is one instance of misfortune, she added.

“It is everyday people that are in this situation,” Ms Rosse said. “It could be your neighbour.

“It’s no longer people sitting on the corner with their hand out hoping someone will give them money.”

Mission Australia state director Nada Nasser said since 2020 there had been a 50 per cent increase in people seeking its help after become homeless.

“The escalating cost of living, lack of affordable rentals, and impact of domestic and family violence all contribute to the housing and homelessness crisis,” Ms Nasser said.

Kerry Rosse says all it takes is one instance of misfortune to be homeless. Picture: David Swift

Homelessness NSW data shows the number of people without a roof over their head and reaching out for help has reached record levels in 2023.

Their most recent data from June has 11,965 clients seeking assistance for homelessness.

It’s below the May peak of 12,074, but is 19 per cent higher than 2017 when the data started being recorded.

The peak body’s acting CEO Amy Hains said the share “who are homeless but are working is really high,” at about 28 per cent.

“It’s an interesting statistic because unemployment rates are quite low at the moment but underemployment is … significant,” Ms Hains said.

“Soaring rents, the rising cost of living and inadequate income support payments are locking people out of the tight rental market and causing surging demand for homelessness services, with a 10 per cent spike in the first three months of the year.”

Just because a person has some work it doesn’t mean they are able to live about the poverty line, she added.

Ms Hains was highly critical of the recent NSW budget.

With social housing waiting lists soaring, she described funding levels for essential housing and homelessness services as “crumbs” and “barely scratching the service”.

The organisation maintains NSW has a shortage of 221,500 social and affordable homes.

The Telegraph asked Premier Chris Minns what he would do to bring down the number of people who are homeless.

He said social housing that had fallen into disrepair was being fixed and brought “back online” and that more supply would be added through floor space incentives for the private sector.