Living as we do on the NSW North Coast in a physically beautiful coastal environment with a constantly shifting sea of tourists in our midst, it is often easy to overlook some of the less palatable facts of life such as the level of homelessness some areas experience and the impact that has on the individuals and families involved.
Excerpt from Mid-July 2009 Northern Rivers Social Developmental Council newsletter:
The Richmond-Tweed Region has a total of 1765 people [1638 non Indigenous and 127 Indigenous] experiencing homelessness.
Much homelessness in the region is hidden, as 50% of the recorded homeless population in the Richmond-Tweed Region are living temporarily with friends and relatives.
10% are living in specialist homelessness services.
29% of the homeless population in the Richmond-Tweed Region of NSW are living in improvised dwellings and on the streets.
Within the Richmond-Tweed Region, Tweed Heads has a rate of 66 per 10,000 non Indigenous people and 81 per 10,000 Indigenous people facing homelessness every night.
Lismore has 64 per 10,000 non Indigenous people and 401 per 10,000 Indigenous people facing homelessness every night.
An additional 85 per 10,000 non Indigenous people and 135 per 10,000 Indigenous people within the remaining Richmond-Tweed statistical division are facing homelessness every night.
In NSW as a whole, 27,374 people are homeless tonight.
Of these 6% are living in the Richmond-Tweed Region of NSW.
The Richmond-Tweed has l3% of the State's population.
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