Patu Rendall sits in his makeshift bed under the railway tracks in Woolloomooloo, surrounded by typed notes. He's working on a book, about the depression he says has kept him out of work and homeless for five years.

"The day I finish the book is the day I leave the streets," he promises. "This time next year I'll be outta here."

Christmas doesn't mean much for Patu – but it does for other homeless people, he says. For one thing, there's the much-awaited "$100 man", a sort of mythical figure said to appear on Christmas Day bearing wads of cash. "They were all waiting for him this morning, he hasn't turned up," Patu says.

The 64-year-old lives at one of Sydney's enduring homelessness epicentres, where he is surrounded by broken bottles, rubbish and a near-constant soundtrack of yelling. But he's also surrounded by help. Just next door is the Matthew Talbot Hostel, run by the St Vincent de Paul Society, which provides accommodation for about 95 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It also puts on a daily breakfast and lunch open to all; on December 25, it's a special feast, with bacon, fried eggs, a full roast and even Christmas pudding.