With the community facing a higher than ever rate of people experiencing homelessness, Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services is encouraging people to head along to the Hunter Homeless Connect Day in Newcastle to receive information and support.

Understanding that getting to the Newcastle Showground Exhibition Centre in Broadmeadow for the day might be difficult for people, the family and neighbourhood service is offering free travel passes for public transport to anyone who can collect them from their offices.

Offices are located in Raymond Terrace and Mallabula.

Hunter Homeless Connect Day is an annual event that links people to vital services such as accommodation and housing providers, health and wellbeing, legal and financial assistance, employment, study, and general support.

It will run 9am-2pm and will also provide free haircuts, toiletry packs, food, drinks and access to birth certificates. There will also be entertainment and activities on offer throughout the day.

Being national Homelessness Week this week (August 1-7), the spotlight is being shone on the worsening housing and homeless crisis in Port Stephens.

Read more here - Port's housing woes leaves residents with nowhere to call home - and here - An 'imperfect storm': Why the housing crisis is worsening in Port Stephens.

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