Families desperate for help: Residents doing it tough is at its worst
Port Stephens Examiner
By Laura Rumbel
August 1 2024 – 8:30am
The financial pressures on families continues to grow and for Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services (PSFaNS) the demand for help is extraordinary.
PSFaNS is a provider for emergency financial relief, including food and assistant manager at Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services Ann Fletcher said the organisation has seen a noticeable increase in the amount of people doing it tough.
“We’re finding we’re giving out food hampers and bread every day,” she said.
PSFaNS also has a charity which does some cooking and prepares frozen meals and Ms Fletcher said those meals are very popular for people in need.
“The quantity of social housing that we have in Raymond Terrace certainly hasn’t grown with the population growth,” she said.
Since the COVID lockdown, there has been a huge influx of people relocating to the area which as a result pushed the value of rent up.
“Rent went through the roof and now in Raymond Terrace you couldn’t rent a house for very much less than about $600 to $700 dollars a week,” Ms Fletcher said.
PSFaNS is now being approached by residents who say they’ve never had to reach out for help before.
“People are working but their rent has gone up by so much and they need to pay rent and then they can’t afford to feed themselves,” Ms Fletcher said.
PSFaNS’ specialist homelessness service has been funded by the department of communities and justice since 2014, which includes funding to see 348 individuals a year.
“We’ve always seen above that number but for the past four years, we’ve seen close to 900 a year,” Ms Fletcher said.
The Raymond Terrace based not-for-profit organisation is no stranger to people physically turning up to its door because they have nowhere to go, their hungry or are feeling the cold.
“So of course we’re going to respond and we’re not going to turn people away,” Ms Fletcher said.
Ms Fletcher added that PSFaNS operates a no wrong door policy which means that whoever lands at their doorsteps will be supported.
“Whether we’re the right service for them or not, we’ll try to work out a way to get them to the best place to service their need,” she said.
Domestic violence and assaults have also increased and Ms Fletcher said the financial pressure on families is huge.
“It’s also huge in terms of people being able to leave domestic violence because they can’t afford to,” she said.
To get in touch for assistance, call the Raymond Terrace office on 02 49 800 800 or the Mallabula Hall on 02 4984 5298.
