Locals in the Southern Highlands will brave the cold for a night to raise funds and awareness in support of homelessness occurring in their community as part of the NSW Vinnies Community Sleepout on Friday August 19.
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At present, more than 116,000 people in Australia go to bed each night without a safe and secure place to live.
NSW accounts for over a third of the national total with well over 37,000 people experiencing homelessness.
The current waitlist for social housing in NSW is approximately 50,000 applicants - or the equivalent of 110,000 people - many of whom have been waiting for up to ten years for a home.
In the Southern Highlands, 153 applicants are listed for social housing, including 22 classified for priority housing.
Returning as an in-person event after taking place virtually over the past two years due to interruptions brought on by COVID-19, this year's event will allow participants to gain newfound insights into the realities of homelessness.
Funds raised from the night will remain in the community to facilitate the continuation and expansion of local programs and services, which provide financial and material aid to people in need.
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO Jack de Groot encouraged everyone to take part in this year's event to gain a greater understanding of the factors that lead people to seek assistance from charities, such as Vinnies, at a growing rate.
"Every day our members are meeting with people who are under enormous pressure to try and get by with the necessities of life," he said.
"People shouldn't have to struggle over basics like 'do I have enough to eat?' or 'will I be able to keep a roof over my head?', but sadly that is becoming an all too familiar story that is pushing people into homelessness.
"Housing prices and rents are pricing people out of the communities they've grown up in and there simply isn't enough social housing available to meet the demand."
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW State president Paul Burton said members did incredible work every day to assist people in the time of need across the state.
"My hope is that by holding an event like the NSW Vinnies Community Sleepout we can make people understand that the pressures we're calling attention to aren't abstract concepts, but realities that are happening right here and now," he said.
More than 220, people took part in the NSW Vinnies Community Sleepout last year, raising a record total of almost $297,000 to support the Society's work in local communities across the state offering food, clothing, temporary accommodation and support with bills to people experiencing hardship.
People can register to take part and donate at www.vinnies.org.au/communitysleepout
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