Natasha Maclaren-Jones
Shadow Minister for Homelessness
The Minns Labor Government has failed to get a grip on homelessness in New South Wales, with the latest Street Count showing a 42 per cent increase in the number of people sleeping rough across the state since 2023.
Shadow Minister for Homelessness, Natasha Maclaren-Jones, said the 2026 Street Count numbers show the most vulnerable in our community are being let down
"After the NSW Liberals and Nationals called on the Government to stop hiding the homelessness figures, they have finally been released, and they reveal homelessness has increased by 42 per cent since the Minns Labor Government were elected," Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.
"The Minns Government's housing and homelessness crisis just keeps getting worse, with a record 2,308 people sleeping rough recorded this year. That is an additional 685 people since March 2023."
"As the housing and cost-of-living crisis continues to escalate, more people are experiencing homelessness for the first time."
"Rents are skyrocketing, homelessness services are at breaking point, and tens of thousands are trapped in a system that can't cope."
"This surge in rough sleeping comes as social housing waitlists have jumped 22 per cent to over 68,000 households, showing the system is failing people before they reach crisis point."
"Specialist Homelessness Services are stretched to the limit and are being asked to do more with less. NSW needs more housing, alongside proper wraparound support services," Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.
Mrs Maclaren-Jones is also calling on the Minister for Homelessness to broaden reporting to capture all forms of homelessness, including couch surfing and other forms of insecure housing that are not counted in the Street Count.
"People are experiencing many forms of housing stress, from rough sleeping to couch surfing and overcrowded accommodation. To address homelessness effectively, we need accurate and timely data that reflects the true scale of the problem," Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.
