Rally to turn empty Tomaree Lodge in Shoal Bay into homeless shelter for vulnerable

United Services Union (USU) organiser Melissa Pond said Saturday's rally is in response to a lack of investment in social housing in Port Stephens forcing vulnerable people to fend for themselves.

"In 2020, the number of homeless people in Port Stephens had tripled from the previous 12 months, with resources from support services being stretched to their limits and staff struggling to provide emergency accommodation," she said.

"Fast forward two years and this figure has ballooned out and support services are at breaking point.

"Nowhere in Port Stephens or even Newcastle, Lake Macquarie or the Hunter can anyone get a basic private rental home for under $300 a week."

The USU wants to see the site, formerly a residential centre for people with disabilities managed by the Department of Communities and Justice, become temporary accommodation for people without a roof over their heads.

It's a unique site, one that has already caught the eye of the Tomaree Headland Heritage Group as a potential education and tourism precinct.

But, the USU believes it could be better used, even in the interim, to assist some of the 900 people experiencing homelessness that Port Stephens Family Neighbourhood Services has assisted already this year.

Ms Pond said often homelessness is hidden in Port Stephens because it's a holiday area.

"Residents can often mistake people free camping or sleeping in their cars as being holiday makers, rather than potentially being homeless," she said.

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington, along with Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson, held a roundtable discussion to tackle the issue of homelessness in Port Stephens in July.

The issues discussed included the lack of social housing, the rapidly rising cost of private rentals and double income families being forced onto the street due to a lack of affordable housing.

The solution put forward was the possibility of reopening Tomaree Lodge and the Stockton Centre as temporary accommodation.

Ms Pond said the community cannot accept excuses that accommodating homeless people is too complex.

"Further we cannot accept the excuses and barriers that the state government is trying to put in place to not make this work," she said.

The rally will be held on Saturday, September 23 at 10am at the car park near Tomaree Lodge in Shoal Bay.

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