An "imperfect storm" of factors has seen the housing crisis worsen in Port Stephens.
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COVID-19 social and economic impacts, the rising cost of living, a lack of investment in social housing and services and the end of the national rental affordability scheme were cited as reasons why homelessness is on the rise in the area by representatives from organisations that attended a housing summit in Medowie on Thursday, July 28.
Hosted by Port Stephens MP Kate Washington, the summit saw about 25 people from 15 housing and community groups attend to discuss and find solutions for the growing issue of homelessness.
"Every day, I hear from local people, local families, who have nowhere to go. It's tragic, and something has to be done," Ms Washington said.
"The lack of social housing affects the entire community. It forces people onto the street, for a start. But it also forces people into the private rental market, which drives those costs up even further for everyone else. So, private rentals in Port Stephens will continue to get more expensive until we build more social housing options."
Attendees to the summit, including charitable organisations, Aboriginal groups, service providers, police, councillors and Hume Housing, delivered firsthand accounts of their experiences with the worsening housing situation across the region.
Ann Fletcher from Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Service said a lack of social housing combined with the rapidly rising cost of private rentals is leaving vulnerable people to fend for themselves, and is even forcing double-income families to seek assistance.
"What we're seeing is a bottleneck," she said. "We may be able to get some individuals or families into emergency accommodation but from there they have nowhere to go because there's no affordable rentals anywhere in Port Stephens, nothing that is under $300.
"And those who are applying for rentals, are applying for hundreds and aren't getting anything which leaves them feeling demoralised and frustrated with the system."
The summit was also attended by Labor's shadow minister for housing and homelessness, Rose Jackson.
"The NSW Government has been asleep at the wheel on regional housing. The situation has reached crisis point and they still haven't issued a full response to the Regional Housing Taskforce," she said.
"Labor understands how tough the housing situation is for many regional NSW communities and isn't waiting for the government to act, we're getting on with discussing solutions right now."
Roundtable attendees included representatives from Hume Community Housing, Port Stephens Council, Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services, Tomaree Neighbourhood Centre, Yacaaba Centre, Hunter Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service, St Vincent de Paul, All Saints Anglican Nelson Bay, Rotary, Lions, Karuah LALC, Wahroonga Aboriginal Corporation, Aboriginal Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service, Port Stephens Police, Hampshire Property Group, C3 Church Heatherbrae and Passive House People.
Call to use lodge as crisis accommodation
Former disability housing campuses Tomaree Lodge and the Stockton Centre should be repurposed to provide emergency accommodation for the homeless, say a group of Hunter welfare groups and NSW Labor MPs.
The opposition's spokesperson for Housing and Homelessness, Rose Jackson MLC, joined Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp and Port Stephens MP Kate Washington in making the call at Stockton on Monday, August 1.
It follows a housing and homelessness summit hosted by Ms Washington on Thursday, July 28 and attended by about 30 people from 15 organisations, who gathered at Medowie to discuss the crisis.
"We've been crying out for more social housing in Port Stephens for years, but the Liberal Government just isn't listening," Ms Washington said.
"Instead of waiting around for the government to find a conscience, we brought all of the local players together to see if we can find some local solutions.
"Every day I hear from local people, local families, who have nowhere to go. It's tragic, and something has to be done."
Ms Washington said she had also been ignored after making corresponding approaches to the government to use Tomaree Lodge for crisis accommodation.
Based on the numbers of people who lived on-site when the two facilities were used for disability housing, Tomaree had the capacity to house 150 people.
Stockton had more than 300 residents in its final phase but has housed considerably more in earlier decades.
The three MPs met at the Stockton Centre with representatives of specialist homelessness services Nova for Women and Children and Jenny's Place, together with the Hunter Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service.
Although some in the community are calling for the sites to be used for low-cost housing on a longer-term basis, the Labor MPs stressed they were raising it as a temporary fix while a better long-term future was found.
Ms Jackson said it was "scandalous to have a facility like the Stockton Centre sitting vacant in the middle of a housing crisis".
"Every day I am hearing the worst stories about the housing stress of people in our communities and it is clear what the government is doing just isn't working," she said.
She called on the Minister for Family and Community Services, Natasha Maclaren-Jones, to urgently investigate this option to provide additional emergency accommodation options to the people of Newcastle and the Hunter.
Mr Crakanthorp said the Stockton Centre, which closed in August 2020, had eight renovated houses and two units on the site that would be suitable for emergency accommodation.
"We are at a crisis point, we urgently need emergency accommodation and we have this facility sitting here vacant. Let's use this facility to help the most vulnerable in our community. Whilst this is only a temporary solution its one that is desperately needed right now to get us through this crisis," he said.
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