BY IAN CROUCH
There’s been a major increase in the number of people sleeping rough in Port Stephens.
Minister for Homelessness, Rose Jackson has released the 2025 Street Count which shows in Port Stephens, 40 people were sleeping rough, nearly double from 23 in the previous year. 42 people were found to be sleeping rough in Newcastle in 2024, down from the previous year’s count of 49, but that number was a major increase from 6 in 2023. In Lake Macquarie, 39 people were found sleeping in cars or public places – down from 40 in 2024.
Across the Hunter and Central Coast, 215 people were found sleeping on the streets, up from 188 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.
Update- earlier this morning we previously reported 2024 figures. They’ve since been revised.