Shoalhaven Homeless Hub finds new home thanks to government cash splash
After months of searching and tense negotiations, the Shoalhaven Homeless Hub has found its new home with the help of a state government cash splash.
The South Coast News
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When Shoalhaven Homeless Hub staff were told it was time to move on after 23 years at their Nowra site, they knew the search for a new home for the charity wasn’t going to be easy – or cheap.
Any future home for the Nowra-based, also known as SAHSSI, needed to be accessible to the centre’s women and children escaping from abuse and homelessness.
After months of searching, SAHSSI charity announced on Thursday it had finally secured a new property with the help of its donors and a cash splash from the state government to help cover the rent.
Business manager Gillian Vickers said she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the news.
“We’re really looking forward to being able to relocate and have a bit more security in our new premises,” she said.
“It was difficult to find a location that was accessible to our clients and close to public transports.”
Minister for Families and Communities, Natasha Maclaren-Jones announced on Thursday outside the hub that the state government was providing $60,000 to the centre for the move, with another $25,000 per year.
“The investment will help after their relocation to a new property, which will be fit for purpose, and to support the local community and those people sleeping rough or at risk of homelessness,” Ms Maclaren-Jones said.
Minister for the South Coast, Shelley Hancock, said the move would allow the hub to be more accessible for people unable to secure housing in an increasingly fraught market.
Ms Vickers said that without the funding, the centre would not have been able to secure its new home.
“The rent at the new site doesn’t compare at all to what we are currently paying,” she said.
“That’s why we required this assistance to be able to move.
“Without it, the homeless would be homeless. Its crucial.”
The new site will be located on Plunkett St in Nowra, in a similar building to their current premises, Ms Vickers said. It will feature a ramp for wheelchair access and will be close to public transport.
Ms Vickers expected the move to happen in June.
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