Approaches to Homeless
Research in Outer Western
Sydney
Michael Laing
Strategic Community Planner
Hawkesbury City Council
“Learning to Listen: What your community says about Housing”
Forum, 5 April 2011.
Overview: 2007-2011
 2007 Nepean Campaign Against Homelessness
 2009 Nepean/Blacktown Taskforce Against
Homelessness (MOU incl. Councils)
 2009/10 Consortium & Project 40
 2010 Nepean/Blacktown Street-Count
 2010 Homeless Hubs commenced
 2010/11 Nepean/Blacktown Homeless Research
Partnership with UWS, Taskforce & Councils.
Street Count of Rough Sleepers 4 May 2010
First Hawkesbury count identified:
51 rough sleepers (primary homeless)
49 secondary homeless people
190 tertiary homeless (separate to count)
Expected to be an under-count (40%+)
*First attempts to define a hidden problem.
Locations of Rough Sleepers
Blue
Mountains
19%
Penrith
25%
Hawkesbury
19%
Blacktown
37%
Homeless counted per 1000 residents
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Blacktown
Penrith
Hawkesbury
Blue
Mountains
Parramatta
Sydney
Number of Primary & Secondary
Homeless counted
888
837
Sydney February
2010
Sydney August
2009
530
366
Nepean May
2010
Parramatta
February 2010
Engagement with ‘Consumers’
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Informal contacts: build relationships
Street Count Advisers - critical
Hawkesbury Hubs
Homeless Advocates
- hear their voices
- value their experience
*great impact of personal stories!
Ongoing Research
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Homelessness Scoping Research 2011
Taskforce Councils support
Partnership with UWS & Taskforce
Auspice: Wentworth Community Housing
Submission for further research to UWS
Input into Taskforce’s 10 year Plan
Goal: to end homelessness in the Nepean