New York strategy to fight homelessness

The State Government has announced a major new attack on homelessness, adopting the same ‘Common Ground’ strategy successfully employed in New York.

The proposal involves redeveloping the land between Pyrmont Bridge Road, Lyons Road, Lambert Street and Layton Street in Camperdown. The site, owned by Housing NSW, will play host to a new purpose-built building for homeless people, designed to help them back on their feet and ease their transition back into mainstream society.

“Common Ground focuses on prevention rather than just offering crisis accommodation,” said Premier Nathan Rees. “We are looking at a building with up to 90 housing units as well as key social services. We are offering more than a just a short-term bed.”

Supportive housing was created by non-profit organisations in the US as a more holistic response to homelessness. It offers permanent housing for the formerly homeless, people with mental and/or medical disabilities, the elderly and the disadvantaged. However, unlike traditional public housing, residency is combined with social services such as mental health and substance abuse counselling, job training and placement, and community activities.

The Common Ground program was initiated in New York in 1990, and according to their website, “has enabled more than 4,000 individuals to overcome homelessness.” Two long-term government studies in the US have shown that more than 83 per cent of individuals placed in supportive housing have remained in permanent housing and reintegrated into mainstream society.

Housing Minister David Borger said the chosen site had vacant land, so building the Common Ground facility would not involve relocating large numbers of existing tenants, he said. He added it was, “situated close to important service facilities like the hospital.”

The fact that homelessness rates in NSW had not declined demonstrated that a new approach was needed, he said.

Construction is envisaged to begin on the new development by the end of the year.

Area residents, however, have raised concerns, in particular relating to the Government’s commitment to the plan. A report in The Sydney Morning Herald cited an unnamed former member of a working group set up to develop the scheme, who believed the current proposal, while praiseworthy, reflected a desire to cut costs.

Mr Borger said all efforts would be made to allay residents’ concerns. “We believe this is an appropriate site to meet the needs of homeless people in Sydney,” he said. “[The concerns of residents] need to be balanced with the need of homeless people to provide them with safe, secure and affordable long-term accommodation.”

The initiative comes on the back of what has been described as a crisis in housing affordability for Sydney’s homeless. The City of Sydney’s Homeless Person’s Information Centre said it had received a record 66,610 calls over the previous twelve months, an increase of 13,000 calls over the 2007/8 period.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said it was imperative the City provide support to those in need and reduce housing stress in local communities. Housing stress – primarily caused by failure to keep up with rent payments – was cited as the primary reason for homelessness, alongside family breakdown.