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[email protected] PO Box 1234 Gosford NSW 2250 5th June 2020 To the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, Inquiry into Homelessness in Australia Coast Shelter is a homelessness service based in Gosford Local Government Area and Wyong Local Government Area working with Youth, Women & Children and Men who are homeless or at risk of homelessness along with Women escaping Domestic and Family Violence. We welcome the opportunity to provide a response to the Inquiry into Homelessness in Australia. We seek to respond to the term of reference regarding services to support people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including housing assistance, social housing, and specialist homelessness services. As service providers, we directly engage with the growing homelessness crisis through assisting those at risk of and experiencing homelessness. NSW experienced the highest rate of homelessness across states and territories from 2011- 2016, with the number increasing by 37% in this period, significantly higher than the national increase of 14%.1 During a similar period, homelessness services have experienced unprecedented demand, with a 38% increase in clients from 2014 – 2016.2 This level of demand has been maintained since 2016. In 2018-19 homeless services across NSW saw over 73, 000 clients, 27% more than they are funded to support.3 We are funded to work with 876 clients but in 2018-19 we supported over 1151 clients experiencing homelessness and a further 914 women & children escaping domestic and family violence. The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased these pressures.