The State Government is facing calls from the Hunter, for the former Stockton Centre to be temporarily repurposed as emergency accommodation for the homeless.
State member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp MP was joined by the Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Rose Jackson MLC this morning, in launching the call.
The appeal is also being supported by a number of local support services, including Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS), Nova for Women and Children, Jenny's Place, and the Hunter Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service.
The call comes as recent data indicates homelessness services turned away 114,000 Australians seeking help between 2020 and 2021, citing a lack of resources.
Data out of Hume Community Housing backs up these figures, indicating the need for community housing in the Hunter rose by 24% between 2020 and 2021.
The
former Stockton Centre has eight renovated houses and two units on the
site which are said be suitable for emergency accommodation.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp, said the building is owned by the Department of Communities and Justice, and should therefore be used to serve those in the community who need it most.
"This asset belongs to the community, not some Minister in Sydney who says it’s all too hard. We need less talk and more action when it comes to addressing the housing crisis," Mr Crakanthorp said.
"We've got a perfect storm. We've got an inflation rate going through the roof, we've got hardly any rentals available, and we've got people moving up here from Sydney and other places which is pushing up prices, making it even less affordable to even buy, let alone rent."
The vacant site has sat dormant for almost two years, and Mr Crakanthorp says it's about time the government did something with it.
"Every week I am dealing with people experiencing homelessness who are struggling to find accommodation. Whilst this is only a temporary solution, it's one that is desperately needed right now to get us through this crisis," he said.
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| The need for community housing in the Hunter rose by 24% last year. |
