26th August, 2014
The number of people sleeping rough in Sydney has risen 16 per cent in the past year, according to data released by Homelessness NSW.
The street count report for August shows 296 rough sleepers, a 16 per cent increase on the figure from a year ago, but Homelessness NSW chief executive Gary Moore said in a statement that with the latest count occurring on one of the "wettest and windiest nights this year", the actual number of rough sleepers is likely to be higher.
"It is likely that many more rough sleepers would have been counted but they managed to squat, couch surf or (were) crammed into vehicles because of the extreme weather."
Mr Moore said that with the latest figures coming in the wake of February data which showed a 26 per cent increase on figures from a year before, "warning bells start to ring".
"There are now street homeless people from the Royal National Park to Parramatta City Centre to abandoned farm sheds in the Hawkesbury to cars in Fairfield and public shelters on the Northern Beaches," he said.
As well as calling for Government assistance to conduct street counts, Mr Moore said there is a need for a "decade long investment" in targeted housing projects to permanently reduce the number of rough sleepers.
– DAVID ADAMS
