An expert has warned the community of the dangers of hidden homelessness after new data showed NSW is in the grips of a crisis.
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NSW recorded the largest spike in homelessness nationally, with a jump from 28,191 in 2011 to 37,715 in 2016, according to the Census.
While the number of homeless people in the Wagga Local Government area decreased from 154 in 2011 to 107 in 2016, Ulicia Ellis said the problems was still real.
As a case work specialist with Wagga’s Mission Australia’s Eastern Murrumbidgee Youth Services, Ms Ellis focuses on young people up to the age of 25.
She said there are a range of factors that can push someone into homelessness, from relationship breakdowns and overcrowding to domestic violence and housing affordability.
“We aim to restore family relationships so they can return home, or help them transition into independent living,” she said.
“With a lot of the young people that we work with here, they go through periods of destablisation with their living arrangements.”
One of the key focuses of aid that Mission Australia then provides are tools to ensure long-term stable living arrangements.
While the rate of homelessness may have gone down in Wagga, Ms Ellis said, there is clearly a crisis particularly with NSW which overall had the largest jump out of all states and territories.
“Overall, there needs to be a coherent national strategy across all levels of government, so that we can increase numbers of social and affordable housing,” she said.
“It’s unacceptable that the overall rate of homelessness is still increasing.”
While the decrease in the individuals who are homeless in Wagga is a positive sign, Ms Ellis said the community needed to be aware in Wagga, homelessness can be hidden.
“People might not even be aware they are experiencing homelessness,” Ms Ellis said.
“While there are people rough sleeping in Wagga, there are many more people in our community who are couch surfing with friends and family because they don’t have a safe, secure place to call home.”
Ms Ellis said other signs of homelessness include living in severe overcrowding and couch surfing.
This is evident in the fact that one of the most staggering increases was recorded in the categories of people living in overcrowded dwellings, which rose by almost 75 per cent.
The data is surrounding areas varied.
Albury went from 147 homeless individuals in 2011, to 124 in 2016 but Gundagai rose from 3 to 16 in the same period.