Hundreds of people experiencing homelessness will be supported through the new $36 million Together Home project, which will deliver the largest housing response dedicated to rough sleepers in NSW history.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said the project would change the lives of people who have experienced rough sleeping, including people with highly complex needs, by rapidly securing them homes from the private rental market and wrapping essential support services around them.
“Throughout the COVID-19 response we’ve worked hard to keep rough sleepers safe. Now we’re working to get them into homes with the support they need to rebuild their lives,” Mr Ward said.
“This is the largest single investment made to tackle rough sleeping in NSW. The response will be intensive and pack many months’ of work into just weeks, as we strive to transition people from temporary accommodation into secure housing.”
Together Home will be a partnership between the NSW Government, Community Housing Providers, Specialist Homelessness Services and health services.
The package of support is designed to help get people off the streets for good. It will provide access to the services people need to maintain their tenancy, improve their health and wellbeing and move towards training and employment.
Homelessness NSW CEO Katherine McKernan said a housing-first model is critical to providing stability for rough sleepers, and things like case management, drug and alcohol services and mental health support are so important.
“The sector has worked hard in recent months to get to this point and this additional funding will provide the critical next step to help secure housing and the supports people need to sustain tenancies,” Ms McKernan said.
The project builds on the NSW Government’s response to COVID-19, which included increasing the supply and flexibility of temporary accommodation and the expansion of assertive outreach across the state.
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