More
than 80 homeless people in the Newcastle and Hunter region shared their views
with the Homeless Persons’ Legal Service (HPLS) and members of the NSW Consumer
Advisory Council this month as part of a series of consultations on
homelessness.
The
NSW Consumer Advisory Council advises the NSW Government on homelessness
issues. There are 10 people on that Council who have experienced homelessness,
including Mary and Rhiannon from the Newcastle region.
Insights
gained from this month’s consultations will be passed to the NSW Premier’s
Advisory Committee on Homelessness.
‘This
was the first time consultations run by homeless people for homeless people
have occurred in the Hunter Region,’ said HPLS Policy Officer Chris Hartley.
‘All
of the people consulted felt relaxed about sharing their stories and ideas with
the members of the Council because they had a shared experience of
homelessness. It was an empowering process for those consulted as well as for
those running the consultations.’
Consumer
Advisory Council member, Rhiannon, participated in the event.
‘Homelessness
can happen to anyone, it does not discriminate. I first became homeless at the
age of 15 when I was forced to leave my family home,’ she said.
Rhiannon
is also part of the Street Care Hunter working group.
During
the week Rhiannon and Mary, a fellow Street Care Hunter working group member,
spoke to ABC Radio Newcastle
and the Newcastle
Star about their efforts to secure funding for this important
project.
HPLS
thanks Jo Hamilton, Ann Watkins and other members of the Street Care Hunter
Working group for helping to make the Hunter consultations a great success.
Pictured, from left, is Clare from the Youth Accommodation Association, with Rhiannon, Mary and Veronica.