PAYCE Foundation calls for “Homelessness Action Now”

As Homelessness Week 2025 commences, the number of people still living on the streets requires urgent action, according to PAYCE Foundation Director Dominic Sullivan.

The recently released 2025 street count numbers are sobering, with the City of Sydney recording the highest number of people sleeping rough, with 346 people counted.

That’s a 24 per cent increase compared to February 2024.

“As we reflect on the number of people still sleeping rough during Homelessness Week, they are sobering figures,” Mr Sullivan said.

“However, there are several projects that are delivering results and should, in time, drive those numbers down, particularly the work of the End Street Sleeping Collaboration (ESSC).”

The PAYCE Foundation is the founding philanthropic partner of the ESSC. It includes leading homelessness agencies working in partnership with the City of Sydney and the NSW Government.

The ESSC has developed digital technology, known as the By-Name List, that gathers information directly from people experiencing homelessness.

“This technology is delivering a more coordinated, personal support service that links individuals to housing and care,” said Mr Sullivan, who is also co-chair of the ESSC.

In the 2024 street count, Byron Shire recorded the highest number of people sleeping rough in NSW.

The ESSC has since launched a targeted program to address homelessness in the Northern Rivers.

Homelessness Australia hosts Homelessness Week annually to build community support, raise awareness and ultimately, the solutions needed to end homelessness.