What should Wollongong do to address the homelessness crisis?

Wollongong has made the top three in the state according to an Australian Government report, but it’s not something to be proud of.

The Wollongong local government area has the third highest number of people accessing homelessness support in NSW, Councillor Kit Docker told the Wollongong City Council meeting on Monday 28 October.

“Our community is an extraordinary place to live,” he said.

“We’re blessed with the beautiful coastline, the escarpment, we’re a hub of culture, and host national sports teams.

“We also have double the national average rate of homelessness and we have the third highest number of people in NSW accessing homelessness services, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.”

Cr Docker moved the council undertook a review of its Protocol for Homeless People in Public Places and investigated how the council could better support local frontline homelessness services.

Addressing the housing crisis was a common cause for almost all candidates in the recent local government elections, and Cr Docker’s motion was largely met with support.

Councillor David Brown suggested the council had a roundtable session with homelessness service providers to identify how the council could best support their work.

“The homelessness crisis is very real, and all levels of government have a role to play,” he said.

“I’d like to highlight our existing commitments to address the issues, from development approvals to the offer of a temporary accommodation trial.

“We adopted this policy last year; let’s get an update on what’s happening in this space.”

Councillor Ann Martin supported the amendment. She said some of the council’s work in the homelessness space was done quietly.

“We know people camp in Kully Bay park and other lake foreshore areas because they have nowhere else to go,” she said.

“Council workers have been out to have conversations with people who are camping there about what services are available, and we may not have communicated clearly with providers what we are doing for these people.

“You don’t want to advertise that you’re having these conversations, you want to let people have their dignity.”

Councillor Richard Martin encouraged service providers to apply for a grant from the NSW Government’s $527 million Homelessness Innovation Fund.

Mayor Tania Brown said it was paramount that all people sleeping rough in Wollongong be treated with empathy and respect, and the council must act urgently to address the issue.

She was, however, concerned that taking a more active role in the homelessness space could enable the state and federal governments to dodge their responsibilities.

“I worry the community will see us as the first point of call, and this could result in cost-shifting to us,” she said.

“We must address it, it’s an urgent issue, but we must also stay in our lane.”

Cr Docker said he appreciated the input from Cr Brown and others and was happy to accept the amendment.

The motion was carried unanimously.