Shellharbour City Council is raising awareness for Homelessness Week, and as part of the week, Mayor Marianne Saliba will today visit Southern Youth and Family Services (SYFS) to give thanks for their role in supporting local young people. 

Southern Youth and Family Services is an independent, local community-based charity organisation that provides support and assistance to vulnerable, disadvantaged and homeless young people and those at risk of, disadvantage and homelessness.

Homelessness Week is an annual week coordinated by Homelessness Australia to raise awareness around people experiencing homelessness, the issues that homelessness brings, and the actions required to achieve successful long-term solutions. 

The 2016 Census found that close to 120,000 people across Australia, including 183 people in Shellharbour City, experienced homelessness. 

Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba said that this year’s theme Everybody Needs a Home reflected the critical importance of having a home, particularly during the ongoing crises that Australians have found themselves in this year.  

“The coronavirus pandemic has shown just how crucial it is to have a safe place to be able to isolate and stay healthy. However, it has also put Australia’s lack of affordable and social housing in the spotlight, with more people pushed to the edge of, or into homelessness.”

“There is a current national shortfall of 433,000 social housing properties. This places a lot of people at risk of becoming homeless and makes it extremely difficult for people who are experiencing homelessness to find a way out. 

“This year Homelessness Australia have partnered with the Everybody’s Home campaign. Everybody’s Home is a research-based campaign developed by a coalition of housing, homelessness and welfare organisations to ensure housing solutions that meet the needs of low and middle income Australians are at the centre of the debate in the next federal election. 

Everybody needs and deserves a home, and I encourage everyone to look into the campaign to see how you can make a difference,” she said. 

For more info about Homelessness Week 2020 and to see how you can be involved visit www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/campaigns/homelessness-week-2020

For more information about SYFS visit www.syfs.org.au/

Media enquiries: Kelli Wells 0448 361 008.