This Homelessness Week (7-13 August), Northern Rivers community service organisations are uniting to highlight homelessness in the region. Social Futures CEO, Tony Davies, said the community service organisations - Social Futures, Momentum Collective, The Family Centre, Northern Rivers Housing and Tweed Assertive Outreach - will together hold events in Tweed Heads, Lismore and Grafton to highlight the dire housing need in the Northern Rivers.
This Homelessness Week (7-13 August), Northern Rivers community service organisations are uniting to highlight homelessness in the region.
Social Futures CEO, Tony Davies, said the community service organisations – Social Futures, Momentum Collective, The Family Centre, Northern Rivers Housing and Tweed Assertive Outreach – will together hold events in Tweed Heads, Lismore and Grafton to highlight the dire housing need in the Northern Rivers.
“Towns in our region now have more people sleeping on the streets than Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong combined according to figures released last month,” he said. “Affordable rental properties are scarce, and demand for homelessness-support has surged.”
Mr Davies said he hoped that the government would act on the figures to ensure that homelessness support services in the region are adequately funded to meet demand over the longer term.
“In addition to meeting the needs of those who were flood affected, we need to see significant growth in public housing as there is growing need in our region – the waiting lists for public housing in this area are extraordinarily long,” Mr Davies said.
Momentum Collective CEO, Tracey Mackie, strongly believes that access to safe and secure housing is fundamental to people’s health and wellbeing.
“The majority of homelessness is hidden. We have high numbers of people sleeping rough and many other people in crisis accommodation, insecure housing, rooming houses, overcrowded dwellings or couch surfing,” Ms Mackie said.
“The housing situation is at a crisis point, and we need everyone to think about what they can do collectively to develop alternative solutions. There is no one simple solution to our housing crisis and it’s going to take a whole of community approach to help address it.”
CEO of The Family Centre,David Boutkan, said all levels of Government need to work together to achieve a solution.
“We’ve reached a tipping point on housing access and affordability,” Mr Boutkan said.
“We’ve seen a shocking increase in housing related crisis. The lack of safe, stable and affordable housing is by far the greatest challenge for far too many people in our community. Building more social and affordable housing is an essential part of the solution. All levels of Government must work together and act now.”
Organisers of the vents urge locals to attend the events, show their support, and stand in solidarity with the homeless population in the Northern Rivers.
Homelessness Week Events 2023
Tweed Heads – Jack Evans Harbour
10am – 2pm, Wednesday 9 August
FREE BBQ Lunch, badge making, fun activities, information
Lismore – The Quad
10am – 2pm, Tuesday 8 August
FREE BBQ Lunch, badge making, fun activities, information
Grafton – Grafton Shopping World
10:30 – 1pm, Wednesday 9 August
Badge making, chocolate wheel, fun activities, information
What you can do to help homelessness in The Northern Rivers
Attend the events: Show your solidarity by participating in the awareness-raising events in Tweed Heads, Lismore, and Grafton.
Spread the word: Engage with the #HomelessnessWeek2023 hashtag on social media, share information, and raise awareness about the issue of homelessness in the Northern Rivers region.
Volunteer: Get involved with local community organisations assisting homeless individuals and families. Your time and support can make a difference.
Advocate: Reach out to local politicians and government representatives, urging them to prioritise homelessness as a critical issue and invest in more affordable housing solutions.
Donate: If you are in a position to do so, consider donating to local homelessness support organisations to assist them in their vital work.