As overnight temperatures drop and those who can spend more time indoors enjoy protection from the inclement Sydney winter, August arrives and reminds us of how our housing system falls short. Across NSW, people continue to be pushed into homelessness at a rate that sees support services stretched thin, sometimes having to close their doors, and even turn people away. The first full week of August marks National Homelessness Week, a time to reflect on the plight of people at the most severe end of our housing crisis.

Last Monday, the Shelter NSW team joined Homelessness NSW, people with lived experience, service providers, policymakers and sector partners at NSW Parliament House for the NSW launch of National Homelessness Week: Beyond Crisis: Reimagining Our Homelessness Response.

The event challenged policy makers (and practitioners) to think beyond responding to homelessness in crisis mode, once people are being seriously affected, and instead consider what it would take to prevent it in the first place. Across the discussions, one message was clear: ending homelessness requires more than crisis services alone.

Homelessness prevention depends on at-scale investment in social housing, sustained funding for homelessness and support services, and a better regulated private rental market that provides greater security and affordability for renters.

There is no shortage of commitments to ending homelessness. Governments across Australia have recognised that homelessness is preventable and have adopted ambitious strategies and targets. These commitments matter, but they must now be matched by more decisive action and sustained investment.

The ‘Building Homes for NSW’ package announced in the 2024–25 NSW Budget represented a welcome and long overdue turning point. The $6.6 billion investment committed funding for thousands of new social homes, major maintenance and upgrades to existing public housing, and expanded homelessness support services. It demonstrated what is possible when governments make social housing a priority.

However, the housing crisis has not stood still. More than 70,000 households are now on the NSW social housing waiting list, homelessness continues to rise, and demand for housing assistance continues to outstrip supply. While ‘Building Homes for NSW’ is an important first step, we look forward to further investment in social housing at the scale needed to meet growing demand. If we are serious about ending homelessness, investment cannot be a one-off response; it must become an ongoing commitment.

It is with this strong message in mind that the event launched Homelessness NSW campaign, ‘A Place to Call Home’ (and the support to keep it).

Shelter NSW’s team strongly recommends watching and sharing the powerful videos developed by the campaign as far and wide as possible so that our sector can secure increased baseline funding for specialist homelessness services, and adequate investment in new social housing.

This National Homelessness Week, Homelessness Australia and Everybody’s Home are calling on Australia’s federal parliamentarians to commit to the long-term action needed to end homelessness, including a significant expansion of social housing, and stronger support for renters.

Shelter NSW encourages our members and supporters to learn more about the campaign and consider adding their voice by signing the Everybody’s Home petition. Turning commitments into homes will require sustained public investment, political leadership and continued community advocacy. National Homelessness Week is a timely reminder that while ending homelessness is possible, it will only happen if we move beyond promises and deliver the homes that people need.