More and more asylum seekers and people on temporary visas are becoming homeless as the cost-of-living crisis deepens and they are successively cut from basic government funded services. Philanthropic specialist homelessness services report being overwhelmed and unable to help this cohort exit homelessness. During COVID, non-resident rough sleepers were given temporary accommodation which provided services and the opportunity to help resolve issues like being on the wrong visa or losing access to funds and to help secure long term housing.

In Parliament I asked the NSW government to give this vulnerable population access to temporary housing. The minister said the government would consider support through the homelessness strategy it is working on but maintained that the Commonwealth needed to provide support through the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement.  

We urgently need to move forward to ensure non-resident rough sleepers including women and children escaping domestic violence can get help to get off the streets.  

My question and the minister’s response > HERE.