More than 500 people who were previously sleeping rough now have a safe place to call home, one year on from the establishment of the NSW Government’s landmark Together Home program.
Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Alister Henskens said the program was supporting some of the most vulnerable people in the community to access housing and specialist support to rebuild their lives.
“The past 12 months have been incredibly challenging, but the success of this program demonstrates that we can support people to break the cycle of homelessness,” Mr Henskens said.
“Together Home is not just about putting a roof over their head, but instead addressing the complex needs of individuals, to ensure they get the support they need to improve their health and wellbeing.”
Together Home is being delivered in partnership with community housing providers, specialist homelessness services and healthcare agencies.
It involves securing housing for rough sleepers from the private rental market and connecting them to tailored support services to address their individual needs.
The NSW Government has invested a total of $122.1 million in the program, which is expected to help 1,050 people off the street and into housing.
“Together Home has already had a profound impact for the hundreds of people housed and I would like to thank all of the organisations that are working collaboratively with us to change lives for the better,” Mr Henskens said.
Together Home is a key contributor towards achieving the Premier’s Priority of halving street sleeping across NSW by 2025.
Anyone who is homeless or is at risk of homelessness can call Link2home on 1800 152 152 for information and referrals to services, including temporary accommodation.