The Newtown Neighbourhood Centre held its fifth annual Newtopian Sleepout last night.

The Sleepout raises awareness about the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. The focus of this year's event is on boarding houses and boarding house residents and I acknowledge the critical work of the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre in supporting residents in boarding house across the city, including following the tragic events of earlier this year.

As part of the Sleepout, participants spend the night outdoors in the heart of Newtown. As well as raising awareness, the event raises money to help fund the important work the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre does to support people experiencing it. Since the beginning of the sleepout five years ago, over $350,000 has been raised, making a significant contribution to Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, and I understand donations have topped $90,000 this year alone.

The event comes as part of Neighbourhood Centre week, a nation-wide initiative held from the 9th to the 15th of May. This year's theme is "Building resilience by bringing people together".

Thank you Newtown Neighbourhood Centre for the work you do year round, and I thank everyone taking part in the Sleepout this year.