Assertive outreach

Assertive outreach is an evidence-based practice to combat street homelessness. Housing staff, specialist caseworkers and health professionals conduct patrols to proactively engage with people experiencing street homelessness, and provide a pathway to stable long-term housing.

Since March 2017, the NSW Government has been working in partnership with the NGO sector to conduct Assertive Outreach street patrols in inner-Sydney. These teams have helped many people experiencing street homelessness find pathways to long-term housing. In 2019 DCJ and its partners expanded these services to the Tweed and Newcastle and this was followed by further expansion to all DCJ Districts beginning in April 2020.