Responding to people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, requires a rapid and sympathetic response. Homeless Connect SA is the point of first contact for people seeking assistance with emergency accommodation in South Australia. The service is funded by the SA Government and jointly managed by Uniting Communities and SYC.
The lockdown arrangements have caused additional groups of people to seek emergency accommodation, including
Border closures mean that Adelaide, in particular, has a number of people who can’t return home and don’t have ongoing available accommodation in South Australia.
Aboriginal people who can’t return to country, including women with children.
The need to provide accommodation for those living in unsuitable and overcrowded accommodation posing additional health risks.
“We also need to recognise that the lockdown has occurred in the middle of the SA winter with cold and wet weather forecast for the rest of the week, compounding the impact of the lockdown for homeless people,” said Robyn Sutherland, Executive Manager of Community Services for Uniting Communities.
Results over 48 hours
Over the 48 hour period from midday 20th July, Homeless Connect received 4,300 calls. This is about a 300% increase on the number of calls usually received
In that 48 hour period Homeless Connect has accommodated 130 rough sleepers in hotels and emergency accommodation, reflecting significant community effort.
Callers receive information, including referral to other services and information sources, as appropriate.
To deal with the demand an additional 4 staff were put on over the last 2 nights and 5 extra daytime staff to manage the increased demand.
“Each request for assistance needs to be assessed because all circumstances are different. We triage and prioritise those most at risk – we are working with the SA Housing Authority to ensure anyone who is rough sleeping can comply with the SA Health directions,” explained Robyn Sutherland. “We also recognise that finding accommodation options for some people can take longer than they’d expect, but we ensure that everyone who contacts Homeless Connect SA receives a timely response.”
The ability to respond quickly to activate emergency placements for those rough sleeping is not only protecting people from the impacts of homelessness but the broader South Australian community through the emergency provisions of our lockdown.
“This is actually an amazing story of rapid response and collaboration. Homeless Connect SA, the SA Housing Authority, Women’s Safety Services SA, Department of Human Services and numerous homelessness agencies have come together very quickly, creating great outcomes for people who could have been trapped with nowhere to go during the lockdown,” said Robyn Sutherland.
Background to Homeless Connect SA
The Homelessness Connect SA number is: 1800 003 308
Uniting Communities and HYPA (Helping Young People Achieve – a part of SYC) have joined forces to form Homeless Connect SA, a 24/7 state-wide telephone service for anyone experiencing homelessness in South Australia. Available anytime as a free call to help you find information and a direct referral into homelessness services.
Homelessness Connect SA assists people who are currently homeless by
Connecting people with relevant services and information to address their situation and needs
Providing short-term assistance until they can be connected to a specialist homelessness service
Referrals to specialist services including Domestic Violence and Aboriginal Family Violence services, youth services and mental health support”
From website: www.homelessconnectsa.org
