City of Sydney counts its homeless

City of Sydney’s street homeless count revealed a decrease in the homeless population of the Sydney electorate.

The count found 307 people were sleeping out on the streets, 56 less than the last count in February.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the reduction in homeless in the Sydney area is great feedback for the City of Sydney and other organisations trying to rehabilitate the homeless.

“Chronic homelessness has been a problem in Sydney for decades, but by working with State and Federal Governments we’re helping rough sleepers find a roof over their heads,” she said.

Ms Moore mentioned a number of Local Government projects crucial to the reduction: “In the past 18 months more than 50 long-term rough sleepers have been helped off the streets and into stable and secure housing by Way2Home.

“In the past financial year, the YWCA Homelessness Brokerage program, which targets adults and families with low to moderate needs requiring assistance, intervened on 248 occasions to prevent homelessness.”

City of Sydney expects a further reduction in the homeless population with the launch of Housing NSW’s Camperdown Project and the Federal Government’s Platform 70 project begins.

“The Camperdown Project will house up to 52 currently homeless people and Platform 70 will provide homes for 70 rough sleepers in Woolloomooloo,” Ms Moore said.

“We all share a common goal of reducing homelessness in the inner city and we are closer than ever before to achieving that goal.”

Ms Moore said the count represents a real drop in the homeless population in Sydney since 2008.

“Comparing previous street count figures and the results from services such as Way2Home and the YWCA brokerage program, we are cautiously optimistic that a real reduction in the numbers of rough sleepers has occurred since the first count in August 2008,” Ms Moore said.

The City of Sydney homeless count takes place twice a year. The last street count involved approximately 140 volunteers and 20 advisors who have experience of homelessness.

The count is part of the City’s $1.7 million annual commitment towards combating  the problem of homelessness in Sydney.