The City of Sydney’s latest Street count figures, released on Friday, show that homelessness in the inner city has steadily increased since 2012, highlighting the urgent need for increased services to support people to find permanent accommodation.
The Street count records the number of people who sleep rough and in crisis accommodation in the City of Sydney and is conducted twice per year, in February and August.
‘For several years now the Street count has demonstrated that homelessness is rapidly increasing in inner Sydney,’ said Lou Schetzer, Senior Policy Officer at PIAC’s Homeless Persons’ Legal Service.
‘We have seen a 12% increase in the number of rough sleepers since this time last year, and a 55% increase since August 2013.
‘The number of people sleeping rough tends to fluctuate with the seasons with more people sleeping on the streets in Summer, when the weather is warmer, while this population may be more hidden in Winter.
‘Sadly, every Street count for several years now, the numbers have been rising when compared with the same time the previous year.
‘Street Count also showed that crisis accommodation was at 93% capacity, which highlights the need for a whole of government response to the growing problem of homelessness.’