By-Name List instilling hope across Northern Rivers

Northern Rivers Zero, a regional collaboration under the End Street Sleeping Collaboration (ESSC), has recorded rapid progress in its efforts to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring as the By-Name List continues to expand across the coastal region of New South Wales.

The shared database is in stage two of its goal to reach all seven local government areas, which marks a major shift away from “fragmented, crisis-driven responses” toward coordinated, prevention-focused support, Northern Rivers Zero Project Coordinator Sacha Zunic said.

“That’s been the best about it – people are coming together. There is hope,” Mr Zunich said.

“Clients are getting quicker, more rapid outcomes and, essentially, we’ve created a new source of truth as far as data is concerned.”

Participation has expanded to 17 organisations, representing 30 active user teams and 101 individual frontline users across the region.

The By-Name List allows frontline workers to securely share information, escalate complex cases and avoid duplication across the sector.

Its adoption has accelerated, with more than 6,300 updates recorded across the Northern Rivers as of 2026, compared to just 14 updates in 2022.

Regular coordination meetings now bring together councils, homelessness services, NSW Government agencies, health providers and disability services to resolve barriers in real time, Mr Zunich said.

“Outcomes are happening faster than we’ve ever seen.”

The work is supported by the PAYCE Foundation, whose backing has enabled the project to expand across the region.

PAYCE Foundation Director and ESSC Co-Chair Dominic Sullivan said the results demonstrated the power of shared data and collective action.

“The By-Name List is changing how homelessness is understood and addressed in the Northern Rivers, and the impact will be felt well beyond this region,” Mr Sullivan said.