Dubbo charities call on government to commit to housing promises amidst rise in homelessness

"I think the new government needs to consider how accommodation options also support a range of people - we're not just talking about lower socioeconomic groups anymore," said Megan Boshell, area manager for Mission Australia in Dubbo and the central west.

"We're often talking about professionals who can't find accommodation and we know in regional areas the flow-on of that is really significant."

She warned if more social housing is not built in Dubbo, then the number of homeless people in the region will continue to rise.

"If you consider the cost of living is a really significant issue for lots of Australians at the moment, and add that to the fact it's incredibly difficult to find lower cost rentals, we're going to continue to see an increase in people who are unable to access accommodation," she said.

"We know that people come into Dubbo seeking accommodation because of a lack of options in other areas as well. Dubbo is a hub - we have the health services, different employment opportunities, different education opportunities, we have all of that.

"We really need to see more social housing and affordable housing available to people otherwise I really do think those homelessness numbers are going to continue to increase across our region."

The calls come after census figures recorded 35,011 people across NSW going without a safe and secure place to call home on any given night.

In the Dubbo area, on the night of the 2021 census, there were 294 people recorded as homeless, up from 209 in 2016. This accounted for the largest rise in the number of homeless people across the central west and Orana regions.

Ms Boshell said - while there has been a drop in the number of people sleeping rough - these numbers were reflective of the changing face of homelessness.

"[There are] lots of people couch surfing, living in overcrowding, living in different types of lodging which are not safe and suitable and stable accommodation," she said.

"The reason why we consider that to be a form of homelessness is because that's people living in an environment which isn't safe. Often sleeping in pretty temporary bedding situations - on the floor, on the couch - it doesn't mean they're in a nice, comfy spare room at someone's house."

In the Dubbo Regional Council Area, 93 homeless people were living in severely overcrowded dwellings - up from just seven in 2016.

56 people were staying temporarily with other households, 61 were in supported accommodation for the homeless, 25 were living in boarding houses and 10 were living in other temporary lodgings.

Meanwhile, wait times for social housing are also on the rise in Dubbo.

In January, figures released by the Department of Communities and Justice revealed the social housing waitlist in Dubbo has grown by almost a third in just one year, with application numbers jumping from 588 to 770 over the past 12 months.

The St Vincent de Paul Society is also calling on the new Labor government to take "urgent and meaningful action" to address the latest homelessness figures in Dubbo and beyond.

"There is a growing need for social and affordable housing throughout the state with many people waiting up to ten years for the essential right to a home," St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO Yolanda Saiz said.

"The Society called for housing justice through our state election platform to ensure that people can live securely in housing, support is available in times of hardship, and underlying issues that contribute to housing stress are remedied."

They say it is "vital" that the NSW Government increases the supply of new social and affordable housing, renters are protected with stronger rights and there is further investment in specialist homelessness services.

"We look forward to working with Mr Minns and his government to shape a future where everyone has a safe, secure, stable and healthy place to live," said Ms Saiz.

As well as echoing the calls from the St Vincent de Paul Society, Ms Boshell said Mission Australia would like to see the government commit to building a youth refuge in the area.

"The fact that there isn't another youth refuge past Orange to service the western region is pretty concerning, and there are lots of other issues that come with that," she said.

"If a young person's experiencing homelessness the cost of private rentals is so high, the waitlist for social housing is so long - how is a young person supposed to get into that market?"

"That's a constant battle for us and a constant source of frustration across the sector in the local area."

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