Councillor Leah Anderson, chairperson of the group, says this approach follows evidence that success can be achieved through collaboration at all levels of government and the community sector.

“Local Government isn’t best placed to act in the role of direct service providers, but we’re well placed to bring stakeholders together to collaborate towards solutions that are more likely to see real results in our community,” Cr Anderson said.

“The role of this group is to provide Council with strategic advice on homelessness and related issues that can be dealt with at a Local Government Level,” she added.

The Homelessness Stakeholder Advocacy Group comprises of 18 core members including the Member for Port Stephens and Member for Paterson, NSW Police, NSW Department of Communities and Justice, key community sector organisations, Local Aboriginal Land Councils and 2 community members.

“It’s these members that are the real experts when it comes to homelessness, working with our community on a daily basis. They truly understand their needs and can advocate on their behalf,” Cr Anderson said.

“Meeting twice per year, the group will provide Council with local insights and data on homelessness, addressing local issues and helping to develop options to assist in identifying preferred solutions as part of Council’s decision making process," she added.

Acting Communications and Customer Experience Section Manager Amber Herrmann said Council wants to implement actions to both support the homeless and reduce homelessness across Port Stephens.

“Following a community and housing sector workshop in 2021 in response to growing concerns around homelessness, we identified key priorities to implement across key services within Council, the Housing Stakeholder Advocacy Group being one of these,” Ms Herrmann said.

“The establishment of the group positions Council to better understand the broader needs of individuals, facilitate connections to social, health and community services, explore increased opportunities for affordable and social housing supply, develop policy frameworks and improve advocacy at all tiers of government.

“The community sector is the critical link providing not only housing support but also health services and access to other community support providers,” she added.

Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington too attended the inaugural meeting on Wednesday.

For more information about housing in Port Stephens visit portstephens.nsw.gov.au/local-housing-strategy