Lost opportunity for Coffs Council to lead the way in solving homelessness

CONSULTATION for City of Coffs Harbour’s draft homelessness strategy has now closed but many community organisations, housing advocates, and even some Councillors, say the document lacks the teeth needed to deliver real change.

Shelter NSW CEO John Engeler, along with Principal Planner Stacey Miers, reviewed the draft and described it as a step in the right direction but one that relies too heavily on generic statements rather than action.

“Council has acknowledged the problem, but without concrete steps, such as how to work with Homes NSW to deliver more homes for those most in need, there’s a risk this strategy won’t go beyond good intentions,” Mr Engeler said.

He noted the absence of consultation with Indigenous stakeholders, calling it a serious gap given the over-representation of First Nations people among those experiencing homelessness.

Mr Engeler believes Coffs Harbour has the potential to be a demonstration model for tackling homelessness across regional NSW.

“If you can’t get it right in Coffs Harbour, you can’t get it right anywhere in the state,” he said.

“This is a city with proven ability to innovate; it moved from bananas to berries, and has long shown expertise in providing tourist accommodation.

“As such, Coffs should be leading the way in housing solutions, but at the moment, they are seriously falling behind.”

While homelessness is often viewed as the responsibility of state and federal governments, Mr Engeler says local councils play a critical role.

“Councils are on the ground. They see the impacts daily and are well-placed to broker partnerships.

“The old approach of just lobbying higher levels of government for money doesn’t work on its own.

“What does work is intelligent, active, local-led collaboration between council, state and federal agencies, private investors, and community organisations.”

According to Shelter NSW, the draft strategy could be strengthened with several key measures, including:

– investigating available federal and state funding streams

– considering inclusionary zoning, where new developments set aside a portion for affordable housing.

– tightening regulations around short-term holiday letting such as AirBnB

– proactively building partnerships with local community groups and businesses

– ensuring Council has the resources, and potentially philanthropic backing, to drive these initiatives.

Mr Engeler also highlighted models that would meet some of the specific issues impacting homelessness in the area.

One of these is the Common Ground, which is permanent, supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness.

“This model has had huge success in major cities such as Sydney but Coffs Harbour could become the first regional city in NSW to adopt it and be trailblazers for other regional areas.

“Another example is the Foyer model, which provides transitional housing for young people leaving out-of-home care.

“This would also be a good model for Coffs Harbour where there are many young people who need to move out of care once they reach 18.

“Having a stable place to live would give them stability to finish education or find work.”

Shelter NSW stresses the importance of a “Housing First” approach, which recognises that stable housing is the foundation for tackling other issues such as health, employment, or substance use.

“The reality is that housing and homelessness are inseparable; you can’t solve one without addressing the other.”

Mr Engeler also urged Coffs Harbour Council to align its work with the newly released NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2035.

“The state strategy gives a clear framework.

“Coffs Harbour doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel, but it does need to show how local initiatives can dovetail with it.

“That’s how we get traction.”

By Leigh WATSON