Lithgow’s dedicated homelessness service says that it has received an increased number of requests for help in line with the reported rise of homelessness in the state.
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A report released last week by the ABS revealed an overall rise in the rate of homelessness in Australia between 2011 and 2016, and in NSW a sharp increase of 27 percent.
Over the five year period the number of people who were homeless in NSW rose from 39.7 per 10,000 people to 50.4 per 10,000 in 2016.
Deonne Kinney, the manager of Lithgow Community Projects, said the service has also had an increase in clients.
“LCP has definitely experienced an increase in requests for services over the past seven years that is consistent with the increases across the state,” she said.
“There are many factors that have contributed to the increases including the increase in demand for affordable housing in the local area, changes in government policy, and increased awareness of social issues such as domestic and family violence.”
LCP saw a 12 per cent rise in people using its services in the 2016-17 financial year alone, which equates to an extra 40 clients.
She said the people most vulnerable to homelessness in Lithgow were those living alone.
“Single people, whatever their age, who are on low incomes face major barriers in obtaining and sustaining housing due to rising rental prices and the increase in general living expenses,” she said.
“This often results in people living in shared or couch surfing arrangements with no secure tenure.”
Census statistics highlighted the vast number of young people who make up Australia’s homeless population. Sixty per cent of homeless people were under the age of 35.
Single people, whatever their age, who are on low incomes face major barriers in obtaining and sustaining housing
- Deonne Kinney
“The factors that impact on a young person becoming homeless are many and varied and can include experiences of trauma, relationship breakdown with parents or primary care givers, mental health, generational disadvantage, and impacts of drug and alcohol use,” Ms Kinney said.
“Access to education and employment is one of the biggest factors in preventing homelessness and overtime Lithgow has experienced a decrease in both trade opportunities for school leavers and in accessible tertiary courses available locally.”
Lithgow Community Projects is supporting a new national campaign called ‘Everybody’s Home’, which focuses on changing laws and policies to support first-home buyers, renters and the availability of affordable housing.
“LCP believes that the above changes to our national housing system would also result in positive changes for our local community from first home buyers through to those who are experiencing homelessness,” Ms Kinney said.
