The Daily Advertiser last week highlighted the horrendous conditions endured by homeless people living at the Wilks Park campsite, which led to a surge in support from the community.

However, it is feared that without a government-led response, little can be done to provide safe, secure and affordable housing for the growing number of residents living rough.

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Ben Elliott, who founded the community-based not-for-profit charity WaggaKind, recently delivered some timber and coffee to the North Wagga campsite and was "taken aback" by the conditions he saw.

"I was totally shocked," he said.

"I hadn't been there for quite a while, but I had heard the population was growing.

"Being down there, the rain and mud and cold were just unbelievable. I just could not believe that this was their reality.

"I felt guilty getting back into my car and back to my warm office."

Similar to Carevan's Lynne Graham, who said it is vital that action is taken to turn the tide of homelessness in Wagga, Mr Elliott thinks there are too many meetings but not enough movement.

He added that while he and many other members of the community are willing to help make the living conditions of the city's homeless "bearable", only those in power are in a position to fix the problem.

"Is it the politicians' plan just to leave them there? Are we just accepting that they're not getting in anyone's way, so we'll just leave them there?" he said.

On Wednesday, the independent Member for Wagga Dr Joe McGirr told state parliament of Wagga's "emerging issue" of homelessness and the "perfect storm of conditions" that continue to worsen the situation.

"We've got cost of living, fuel, food, energy, we've got increasing rental stress, we've got interest rates, and housing costs," he said.

"I think everyone's feeling the pressure, and unfortunately I think that's impacting some of the most vulnerable."

Dr McGirr said the first step needed to tackle the problem is to engage with those impacted by homelessness to understand what it is they need.

However, when asked whether there has been too much consultation and an absence of action, he argued there has not been enough time to make that judgment.

"I think this issue has emerged, has been emerging, but it's particularly emerged in the last couple of weeks," he said.

"Whatever's happened in the last few weeks, since this has been raised with me, my view is we need to take action on it, and that's why I fired it up."

Matt Costello, who has been living among Wilks Park's homeless community for eight months would argue that the issue is not weeks old, but years.

"There have been people living here for years," Mr Costello said.

"There's desperation here."

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