Sydney’s homeless and their supporters say numbers soaring across NSW as living costs crunch
SPECIAL REPORT: NSW is experiencing a spike in homelessness as soaring cost-of-living pressures and skyrocketing rents push more residents onto the streets. Read their stories.
NSW
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Sydney is experiencing a spike in homelessness as soaring cost-of-living pressures and skyrocketing rents push more and more residents onto the streets.
Peak bodies and support services have reported a backlog of newly homeless people needing housing and food, with Trina Jones, chief executive of peak body Homelessness NSW saying figures were at “unprecedented levels” across the state.
“More than 70,000 people who did not have proper shelter were assisted last year and we believe that underestimates the true scale of the problem,” she said.
“The impact of the rising cost of living, low wages, rising interest rates and the spectre of economic recession are putting more pressure on families and individuals, many of whom are holding down jobs and sending kids to school while they seek out a safe and affordable home.”
One of Sydney’s long-standing homeless men is Ronny Ng, who has been living on a Pitt St bench since 1997.
“I spent my first Christmas here in 1997 and have been here since,” he said.
Mr Ng said post-Covid economic pressures had driven more people onto the streets.
“Since Covid there is more (homelessness), during Covid we all had a good run, people were provided with the essentials and meals,” he said.
“But now there is more homelessness around the city, there is a lot of it.
“It‘s scary, you see young people at that age already homeless.”
Just minutes away from the iconic Bondi Beach, The Order of Malta Community Care Kitchen supported by St Patrick’s Catholic Church provides free meals.
“You’ll have (approximately) 50 people sleeping in Bondi Pavillion every night, it’s pretty bad,” Father Anthony Robbie said.
Mark Woodbridge and Todd Devaney are two of the regulars who enjoy the weekly Wednesday night feed at the soup kitchen, and both said it not only provides them with a meal, but also a sense of community.
“I live in housing commission around the corner and by the time the weekend hits we’re already looking forward to Wednesday night because we all get such a great meal,” Mr Woodbridge said.
When asked by The Daily Telegraph if he’s noticed more homelessness he said: “Yes I have, absolutely”.
“We see the people who are out for assistance in the streets of Bondi Junction but some others would never do that out of embarrassment.”
Gene Phillips seeks refuge outside a Westpac branch on Park St in Town Hall and said struggling to financially keep up with cancer treatments forced her onto the streets.
“My husband walked out on me while I was suffering from breast cancer,” the 48-year-old said.
“I originally came down here (to Sydney) because my hospital (in Tamworth) couldn’t keep
up with an endless stream of cancer patients.
“I got bounced from Tamworth Base to John Hunter (Newcastle) … am being treated at the Randwick Hospital.”
Among the youngsters doing it tough is 24-year-old Kyle, who said he’s been living on the street “on and off” between Sydney and Brisbane.
“I was a victim of domestic violence,” he said by his temporary streetside home on Pitt St.
“I moved out at the age of 12 and have been on and off (homeless).”
Patrick Crawford, team leader of charity Missionbeat which provides on-the-street support to people experiencing homelessness, said numbers were growing “each month”.
“The number of people we are seeing each month who are new to homelessness is increasing,” he said.
“We are experiencing people presenting sleeping in cars and also coming from … couch-surfing arrangements.”
Mr Crawford said cost of living pressures were commonly cited as an issue, while support services were crammed with clients.
“One of those things we’ve been told is the cost of maintaining an additional household is increasing.
“Every one of those steps in the (support services) chain is crowded. There’s no steps left to process people in a speedy and appropriate time frame.”
The state government’s annual street count – which counts the number of homeless on the streets – showed in February the number of homeless in the City of Sydney had dropped to 225 from 269.
Across NSW however the figure had climbed to 1207 from 1141, although Mr Crawford said the figures may not paint an accurate picture as “homelessness was multifaceted (and) not just the rough sleeper”.
Shadow Minister housing Rose Jackson said the figures showed efforts to kerb homelessness were “going backwards”.
“We’re not on track to meet our targets … the reason I think that is happening is our housing market and rental market is forcing people into homelessness. It’s horrible … people at the very bottom end of the private rental market are falling out of (homes) because rents are increasing.”
Families and Communities Minister Natasha Maclaren-Jones, however, said she hadn’t seen evidence of recent increases in homelessness, saying there had been a 48 per cent drop in people sleeping rough in the Sydney area since 2017.
She said current government programs like the $23 million-funded Supported Transition Engagement Program (STEP) had helped cut numbers by providing “wraparound support … where we work with providers to provide that accommodation rental assistance, but again, background support”.
Those already on the streets say there has been a distinct rise in those sleeping rough around the city.
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