The NSW and Commonwealth Governments are making inroads in tackling homelessness in the Northern Rivers, supporting the transformation of a disused aged care facility into 54 rooms for people sleeping rough.
Each room in the new hub, which opens today in Lismore, will provide much-needed crisis accommodation for individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness in the Northern Rivers.
The new Lismore hub is a collaboration between the NSW Government and Community Housing Provider Social Futures, supported by more than $1 million in funding from the Homelessness Innovation Fund (HIF) and $2.9 million in funding from through the Commonwealth's Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program (CTAP).
Specialist homelessness support teams are on-site to provide holistic, person-centred assistance, helping residents secure long-term housing solutions and address the underlying causes of homelessness.
It features 54 self-contained en-suite rooms, alongside a range of communal spaces, including a playroom for children, interconnecting rooms for families, and private consultation rooms.
Fourteen of the 54 new rooms are dedicated to women aged 55 and older, the fastest growing group of people at risk of homelessness in New South Wales.
The Minns Labor Government has a plan to make homelessness rare, brief and not repeated, backed by a record $688 million investment to homelessness services in New South Wales.
One of the key actions in the NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2035 is to replace expensive hotels and motels with more appropriate homelessness accommodation with tailored support.
So far, the game-changing Homelessness Innovation Fund has supported 70 projects across the state with grants totalling more than $26.9 million, delivering over 800 new rooms of varying accommodation models.
The Lismore hub follows the opening of a similar facility opened earlier this year in Tweed Heads South, which has successfully supported 49 individuals in transitioning to long-term housing.
Attributable to NSW Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson:
"The new Social Futures hub will be a game-changer for the Northern Rivers, providing crucial crisis accommodation alongside critical services needed to help individuals move towards long-term housing stability.
"We know housing affordability has gone backwards in the Northern Rivers, meaning more residents are experiencing housing insecurity.
"We are taking a housing-first approach to tackling homelessness in our regions and that starts with hubs like this one in Lismore that give people somewhere to go when the need it most.
"These new rooms, together with those already on offer in Tweed Heads, show the power of our Homelessness Innovation Fund with swift investment delivering life changing outcomes for people in the region."
Attributable to Commonwealth Minister for Housing and Homelessness Clare O'Neil:
"The Albanese Government is working hand-in-hand with the NSW Government to tackle homelessness in communities right across Australia.
"This new hub in Lismore shows what we can achieve when all levels of government work together to support people experiencing homelessness with dignity and wrap-around services.
"Behind every statistic about homelessness is a person who deserves a safe place to call home and the support they need to get back on their feet. This new facility in Lismore will provide 54 individuals and families with crisis accommodation and specialist support to help them transition into long-term housing."
Attributable to NSW Minister for the North Coast and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin:
"It's heartening to see this project come to life here in Lismore where the housing need is so great.
"We have seen this work so well in the Tweed already, converting disused aged care sites into this housing where we wrap services around our most vulnerable to ensure they are supported every step of the way to permanent housing.
"With this innovative partnership between Social Futures and Homes NSW, we are creating sustainable housing for the future than ensures no one is left behind."
Attributable to Social Futures CEO Tony Davies:
"This project represents a major step forward for Lismore and the Northern Rivers where rough sleeper numbers are among the highest in the state."
"Our communities are still experiencing tremendous housing pressures, and they need more than temporary solutions if we are to end homelessness."
"We can now provide a safe environment supported by onsite specialist teams who connect each person with the supports they need to thrive as they transition to long-term housing outcomes."
