BY IAN CROUCH
There's been a significant increase in the number of people sleeping rough in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.
Minister for Homelessness, Rose Jackson has released the 2025 Street Count which shows 49 people were found to be sleeping rough in Newcastle in 2024, up from 6 on the previous year's count, while in Lake Macquarie, 40 people were found sleeping in cars or public places - up from 31 in 2023.
Across the Hunter and Central Coast, 188 people were found sleeping on the streets, up from 100 on the previous count.
Homelessness NSW Chief Executive Dominique Rowe has told Nine Radio it reflects a state-wide trend.
" It really shows the need for funding of homelessness services and building more houses. We've seen an increase of 8% in people sleeping rough in NSW," she said.
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| Homelessness NSW CEO Dom Rowe |
