The number of people sleeping rough on Sydney’s streets has gone up by a stark 23 per cent since the same time last year.
The shocking statistic comes as the city’s housing crisis is pushed to new extremes after ten interest rate rises and a shortage of property stock.
City of Sydney’s street count found that 277 people were sleeping rough in the 25 square kilometre zone at the centre of the city.
That is a 23 per cent increase on the 225 people reported in February last year.
“We cannot solve homelessness without more housing, it’s that simple,” Homelessness NSW chief executive Trina Jones said.
“The challenge right now is even greater due to the rising cost of living, low wages and a dire shortage of affordable rental homes making homelessness a reality for more people.”
Worse still, crisis and temporary accommodation within the local government area is at 93 per cent occupancy and nearing capacity.
“These figures won’t go down unless we tackle the causes of homelessness,” Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said.
She pointed to the response to homelessness during the middle of the state’s strictest lockdown in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic as an example to be followed.
“When the city went into lockdown, people sleeping rough were rushed into temporary accommodation and many were then supported into longer term housing,” Ms Moore said.
She said the pandemic exposed cracks in the city’s housing crisis and once government financial support dried up, the problem returned.
“The pandemic exposed and exacerbated existing inequality and highlighted how precarious access to housing, food and financial support is for many,” she said.
“But it also showed that with the right political will, governments can find the money, resources and urgency to address some of the biggest challenges our vulnerable communities face.”
The new data comes as Premier Chris Minns – who will take part in the Vinnie’s CEO Sleepout in June– announced a $50,000 donation from the Premier’s discretionary fund to the charity.
City of Sydney is calling on the newly-elected Minns’ government to provide the same level of “funding and urgency” for housing and support services made available during the pandemic to return.
“We now have nearly 300 people sleeping on city streets each night, with much of the extra help available through the pandemic now dried up or discontinued,” Ms Moore said.
Homelessness NSW is also calling on the Minns’ government on an annual investment of $25 million a year to fund the Together Home program which she deemed a success during the pandemic.
More than 57,000 people are on the waitlist for social housing in NSW.