00:03In the heart of Sydney's CBD, the streets are abuzz with corporate workers and tourists.
00:08But beneath the bright lights of the city's luxury fashion stores are those who've been left behind.
00:15I've been here since before Christmas.
00:18Belinda has been camped outside the QVB for months after fleeing domestic violence in regional Queensland.
00:24I feel safer here than anywhere because there's cameras everywhere and the police just there.
00:30You only have to sing out and the police comes in.
00:33The 52-year-old grandmother says Winter has made sleeping on the streets unbearable.
00:38They got me down for priority housing. Just haven't heard anything yet.
00:43Sydney has long grappled with homelessness but advocates say it's now at unprecedented levels.
00:48They say the city's soaring cost of living and a severe shortage of public housing is making this winter particularly
00:56difficult for those on the streets.
00:59See you later.
01:01We're doing a lot.
01:02Reverend Bill Cruz has long been a lifeline to Sydney's most vulnerable.
01:07He says demand for his services is the highest it's ever been.
01:10Over 50 years I've never seen it worse than now.
01:15And I've never seen it more diverse than now.
01:18You get young people and old people but also older women.
01:23Every night volunteers from his foundation serve food to those in need across the city.
01:29So many people are worrying about their own income and their own survival.
01:33They haven't got that extra bandwidth to worry about other people.
01:38Tien is among those who've come for dinner at Woolamaloo.
01:42The 26-year-old lost his job as a stonemason after a chronic back injury left him unable to work.
01:48With no regular income, he couldn't pay for his room in Sydney's tough rental market.
01:53Three months ago, I think, my owner, she kicked me out because I don't have enough money.
02:02And I became homeless.
02:05Now, Tien spends most of his nights sleeping on the train.
02:09Last week is my worst week ever.
02:14I lost all my stuff, passport, lost my wallet, lost my phone.
02:20The state government says tackling homelessness is a priority with promises of 8,400 new public homes to be built
02:28by 2031.
02:30But with more than 70,000 people on the social housing wait list, experts say it doesn't go far enough.
02:37While it's really good to see that there's opportunity for more housing and social and affordable housing in particular in
02:43the future, the challenge is for the individual who's looking for housing this week.
02:47The state government concedes a skills shortage and supply chain issues are hampering efforts to deliver more social housing.
02:55Look, there are capacity constraints. That is one of the challenges.
02:57We've put record investment in, but we're probably right at the limits of what the construction industry can really take
03:03on.
03:03For those without a roof over their head, that's cold comfort.
03:07What would you like?
03:09Just my own place.
03:12Just my own place.
03:14A simple wish to find a safe place to call home.
03:18Do not forget to hold the streets of the city.
03:22For those not yet, No No No No No No No No No No No No.
03:24Do not know what the time.
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