About 250 people will gather in Dubbo next week to learn how better to prevent homelessness and support homeless people in Western NSW.
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The NSW Regional Homelessness and Housing Support Summit will be held at Dubbo RSL Memorial Club on Monday and Tuesday.
Delegates working in the homeless sector and interested members of the public will attend the summit free of charge because of sponsorship by the NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS), Yfoundations and Homelessness NSW.
They have representatives on the summit’s organising committee as does Barnardos, HousingPlus and Orana Support Service (OSS) .
Dubbo-based chief executive officer of OSS Peter Gallagher said the summit offered service providers professional development.
“One of the premier’s priorities this year is reducing youth homelessness and as a result of that FaCS has put some money into the homeless sector to provide a method of consultation and a method of implementing best practice across all the services,” he said.
Mr Gallagher said discussion panels and workshops would allow service providers to share and develop “best practice ideas” .
“Ultimately the goal is to get better outcomes for clients,” he said.
Mr Gallagher said physical and/or mental trauma was at the root of most cases of homelessness.
Subsequent drug and alcohol abuse, along with mental illness, proved obstacles to finding a permanent home, he said.
Mr Gallagher said other factors at play were increases in the cost of living and “very high rents” in cities such as Orange, Dubbo and Bathurst.
Colleague and OSS tenancy case manager Maggie Morley said “remoteness” was responsible for reduced access to services and facilities such as hostels and refuges.
Mr Gallagher reported of a “disproportionate number of Aboriginal people” being homeless.
“In a lot of cases they have generational issues of trauma,” he said.
Mr Gallagher said homelessness was on the rise in the region with OSS receiving almost 1500 referrals from Dubbo, Wellington and Narromine in 2015.
He said homelessness extended from couch surfing and living in overcrowded conditions to “no roof over their heads”.
Topics at the summit range from the responsibility of employers to “recognise and respond” to domestic violence through to support for gay youth in the bush and the “head tenant model” that Mr Gallagher understands is based on one person being in charge of shared accommodation, including the payment of bills.
