PRIMARY homeless people sleeping rough in Coffs Harbour who have received accommodation and support through the NSW Government’s Together Home Program (THP) will be helped into longer-term housing thanks to a $5.7+ million partnership with Mission Australia.

The THP uses Housing First principles to provide stability for people who are sleeping rough with the aim of building individual capacity and capabilities.

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Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said the Together Home Transition program will fund Mission Australia to deliver more social housing options in the region.

“This transition program will assist our local Together Home tenants into longer-term social housing with wrap-around supports,” Mr Singh said.

“It builds on the work Mission Australia, specialist homelessness services and the community are doing to prevent and respond to homelessness in our region by providing stability to help people get their lives back on track.”

Currently the THP in the Coffs region is working with 28 packages (bundles) of funds that are supporting couples and individuals who are experiencing primary homelessness to get them out of the homelessness pathway and into stable housing.

“Once housed we start to work on a planned exit strategy,” Naomi Donohoe, Mission Australia Regional Housing Manager, Mid North Coast, based in Coffs Harbour, told News Of The Area.

“Ours is a model that works on housing first that is really well complemented with wrap around supports through community services who help applicants with their tenancies, building capacity and addressing any underlying issues that contributed to their initial homelessness.

“The THP was designed as a response to the Premier’s priority to reduce the number of people experiencing street homelessness and to find secure and stable housing.”

There are a host of reasons why people are experiencing homelessness through the pandemic, said Naomi, who noted the escalating price of property, rent increases, changes in work environment and job losses.

“Mission Australia’s focus today is on the 1,000-plus people who are currently homeless on any night in the Coffs region.

“What we’re hearing from people coming into Mission Australia experiencing primary homelessness is that it is a really scary place to be.”

Ongoing funding will support a whole range of people in different walks of life to find a stable home.

Key objectives of the program include: Rapidly rehousing people sleeping rough and facilitate pathways into longer term housing; providing access to culturally appropriate health, mental health and wellbeing services; building connections including with family, community and culture; supporting daily living and self-management skills; and providing structured activities including social groups, education or employment.

By Andrea FERRARI