A senior leader from community service organisation Social Futures is representing the Northern Rivers at a major national housing and homelessness forum this week in Sydney. 

Martelle Geurts, General Manager of Housing and Homelessness at Social Futures, will speak at the  7^th National Housing and Homelessness Forum, which brings together more than 300 delegates, 45 speakers and 50 sessions over four days. 

Ms Geurts will join a conference stream focused on prioritising homelessness solutions that foster long-term stability and resilience. 

Her presentation, Supporting a Path Back into Permanent Housing Through Temporary Accommodation Innovation, explores evolving ways to help people at risk of or experiencing homelessness transition to stable long-term housing. 

“With housing pressures continuing to grow in regional communities, we need to keep innovating—temporary accommodation should not just be a stopgap, but a supported step toward lasting stability,” Ms Geurts said. 

With Social Futures head office based in Lismore and their Housing and Homelessness teams active across seven local government areas in the Northern Rivers, Ms Geurts’ insights are grounded in the real challenges regional communities face, including some of the highest rates of rough sleeping in the state. 

In FY2024–25, Social Futures has so far helped house 550 people through its Specialist Homelessness Services, either by helping them sustain their tenancy or supporting them into permanent housing, and a further 453 were supported into temporary accommodation. 

Earlier this year, Social Futures opened the Northern Rivers’ largest supported temporary accommodation site in the Tweed Shire, offering onsite wraparound supports that help participants improve wellbeing, develop skills, and build capacity for independent living. 

“This forum is an opportunity to share what we’ve learned locally, and to hear from others doing important work across the country—it’s encouraging to see collaboration remain a strong focus,” Ms Geurts said. 

Those experiencing homelessness and in need of emergency accommodation should contact Link2home, a phone line available 24 hours a day on 1800 152 152.  

People at risk of or experiencing homelessness are also encouraged to contact Social Futures on 1800 719 625. A range of support services are available, in addition to seeking accommodation via Link2home.