Parramatta Mission lists the homes nobody should call home

Parramatta Mission has launched ‘The Unliveable Listings’, a Homelessness Week campaign that turns rough-sleeping locations into mock property advertisements. It follows Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data showing 59 people are turned away from specialist homelessness services each day in NSW.

READ MORE: Tiny gestures, big impact: Youth Off The Streets campaign tackles apathy

READ MORE: Bench Media raises $25,000 for Youth Off The Streets at Sydney trivia night

More than half of those seeking help are already without shelter when they contact a service, according to the 2024–25 data. The campaign aims to make that shortfall visible by presenting places where people sleep rough as genuine-looking real estate listings.

Property listings with no privacy, safety or shelter

The listings feature real locations across Parramatta and Western Sydney. They include an alcove beside a church, a concrete space beneath an overpass and a grassy patch under a footbridge.

Each page initially resembles a conventional property advertisement. Users who click through are shown what living in those spaces means, including a lack of privacy, safety, shelter and dignity.

Every mock property carries a listing price of $25 a week. Parramatta Mission said that amount can help fund emergency relief, meals, housing assistance and essential health referrals.

Geoff Smith, chief executive and lead minister at Parramatta Mission, said homelessness resulted from failures across several interconnected systems.

“Homelessness is not inevitable, and it is not simply a housing failure; it is a systemic failure. It occurs when housing, health, income, employment, and social support systems fail to provide the stability people need to maintain a safe place to call home.

“We hope this campaign challenges people to see homelessness differently and inspires action to create lasting change.”

Campaign brings real estate marketing into focus

A hero film supporting the campaign features Peter Vines, managing director of Ray White Commercial Western Sydney. Vines walks viewers through one of the locations in the style of a commercial property inspection.

The approach uses familiar real estate language and visuals to contrast Sydney’s property market with the experiences of people sleeping rough. It also calls on businesses and community organisations to play a greater role in addressing housing stress.

Homelessness pressure across Western Sydney

The campaign launches during Homelessness Week, which runs from 3–9 August. Parramatta Mission highlighted several figures showing the pressure on local services:

• The 2025 Parramatta Street Count identified 222 people experiencing homelessness.
• Across NSW, 2,308 people were recorded sleeping rough.
• More than 35,000 people were experiencing homelessness across the state, including people in temporary accommodation, overcrowded homes or couch surfing.
• Parramatta Mission provided more than 80,000 meals and facilitated over 1,200 care service connections during the past year.
• The organisation recorded a 40 per cent increase in overall demand for assistance.

“Behind every statistic is a person,” Smith said. “A family living in their car after rent hikes, an older woman choosing between food and shelter, or a worker who simply cannot keep up with the cost of living.”

More information is available through Parramatta Mission, with donations accepted through the organisation’s campaign page.