Locals invited to help shape Byron’s response to homelessness

BYRON Shire residents are being invited to help shape local action on homelessness as part of a new project gathering 1000 community voices.

The 1000 Voices project, part of the Ending Rough Sleeping Collaboration Byron Shire, is seeking volunteers to become Community Researchers who will collect stories, feedback and lived experiences from across the region.

Backed by Byron Shire Council and a philanthropic foundation, the project will launch a community-wide survey in late July, remaining open until the end of September.

Backbone lead Anna Lockwood said community input would help shape real, grassroots decisions on how to address homelessness in the shire.

“We believe that the answers to solving homelessness live within our community,” she said.

“This project invites the whole community to bring forward their thoughts, challenges and all the ideas they can identify about this issue.

“As the name of the project suggests, 1000 Voices is about hearing from people from all walks of life and making sure every single person’s voice shapes the solutions.”

Community Researchers will be trained and supported to have meaningful conversations and help people complete the survey, either online or in person.

A public event will be held in November to present the findings in a ‘What We Heard’ report and to discuss the next steps.

To volunteer, visit the council website and complete the nomination form at byron.nsw.gov.au/1000-Voices.