homelessness support workers helping young mother and family homelessness support workers helping young mother and family

Homelessness Services

Homelessness Services

We believe that having safe, secure and affordable housing is a human right. Our services are here to listen and assist people so that no one is left in need.

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Homelessness services

The Salvation Army is the largest provider of homelessness services across the country. We provide services to adults, and families with accompanying children. Our services include accommodation, case management, assertive outreach support, financial assistance, together with connection and referral to other specialist services. Our philosophy is that every person is afforded dignity, respect and quality of service and that no one should be without a safe, affordable and secure home.

Homelessness can affect anyone - it doesn't discriminate. People find themselves in unstable home situations that can range from uncomfortable to distressing and dangerous. Services, such as ours, try to help people experiencing homelessness find a permanent and safe place to live, a positive community connection, and services to help the underlying reasons for the person's homelessness.
Find support near you

Understanding homelessness

What is homelessness

We believe that having safe, secure and affordable housing is a human right. Without a home, a person's ability to access and maintain employment, education, training, family and social networks, health and wellbeing can be very difficult, and often impossible, further exacerbating the situation.

While many consider homelessness to be people rough sleeping, on any one night, those sleeping rough in Australia form just 7% (ABS Census 2016) of the total number of people experiencing homelessness.

Inforgraphic: On Census night in 2016 more than 116,400 men, women and children were homeless. 21,235 people living in supported accommodation for the homeless.  8,200 people living In Improvised dwellings, tents or sleeping out 17,725 people staying tomporarily with other households Stone easts mean severely. 17,503 people living In boarding houses  678 people In other temporary lodging
Source: ABS Media release on homelessness 2016

Homelessness can take many forms, and most people experiencing homelessness go unseen, living in temporary accommodation, cars, motels, couch surfing with friends or in severely overcrowded housing.

For this reason, the Australian Bureau of Statistics have defined homelessness as when someone is living in one of the following:

  • a dwelling that is inadequate; or
  • Has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and extendable; or
  • does not allow them to have control of or, access to space for social relations.

This definition provides an accurate way of recording levels of homelessness in Australia to inform the way in which services and support are provided.

Causes of homelessness

There are many misconceptions about what causes homelessness. Homelessness is fundamentally caused by structural issues such as poverty, low income, and a lack of safe, affordable housing.

Common misconceptions are that homelessness is caused by individual factors, such as poor mental health, lack of employment or involvement with the justice system. These are not causes of homelessness, but can, (together with other factors such as, past experiences of trauma, relationship and family breakdown, alcohol and other drug use) place people at higher risk of experiencing homelessness.

Impact of homelessness

Homelessness has a profound effect on people’s lives. It can cause poor health, disengagement with school and community, and result in loss of confidence and self-esteem.

The impact of homelessness is far reaching and long lasting. It can contribute to a lack of connection to family, friends and community, mental and physical health, decrease personal safety, and privacy. Homelessness can negatively impact access and participation in education and work, and hinder freedom of movement and expression.

It also affects not just the individual, but their family members, friends and the wider community.

Vulnerable groups

Homelessness can happen to anyone. Nevertheless, statistics and research have shown that some sections of our community are more vulnerable, for example Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women over 55, children and young people, LGBTIQA+ communities, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, people with disabilities, and veterans.

The Salvation Army recognises this in the services we provide and works together with non-government and government agencies to provide targeted support and services to lessen this increased risk.

The Salvation Army recognises that the experience of homelessness in itself is traumatic, and that once someone has had one experience of homelessness, they are at increased risk. We therefore work to ensure that any experience of homelessness is short and quickly resolved.

The Salvation Army also works to support and assist people into long term sustainable housing.

To learn more about youth homelessness, visit: 
Youth homelessness in Australia

Responding to homelessness

The Salvation Army has a long history responding and working with homelessness and providing services for those in need of homelessness support. For more detailed information about our homelessness services and support available, find the Salvos near you or find a services available in your state or territory below.

Select the state or territory you are located in

New South Wales

Broken Hill Adults and Families Homelessness and Housing Support Service

633 Lane Street, Broken Hill
08 88087 1999
8.00am - 6.00pm Monday to Friday

Eligibility criteria including any restrictions for example the program only covers particular suburbs (catchment areas) - Broken Hill area and unincorporated area; adults and families over the age of 25 years experiencing homelessness, and victims and survivors of domestic family violence.

Inner City Men's Homelessness Service (Foster House)

5-19 Mary Street, Surry Hills
02 9212 1065
24/7
Males 18 years and over.

Murrumbidgee

2B Maple Street, Leeton
103A Binya Street, Murrumbudgee
0432 00 11 63
9.00am - 5.00pm
This is not a 24/7 supported site.

Northern Territory

Alice Springs Men’s Hostel  

11 Goyder St, Alice Springs
08  8952 1434

NT Homelessness Towards Independence Program

88 Hartley St, Alice Springs
08 89510200
9.00am - 4.00pm

3 Yanyula Drive, Anula
p 08 89451947
9.00am - 4.00p

Sunrise Centre and Homelessness Program

24 Beaton Rd, Berrimah
8997 1000
8.00am- 4.00pm
Disability access.
Accept all persons over the age 18.
Do not accept couples or families.

Darwin Red Shield Hostel

49 Mitchell St, Darwin
08 89815994
8.00am - 3.00pm

Queensland

Veterans Support Program

0486 002 535

First Response Team

07 3832 1491

Brisbane City Mobile Support

07 3832 1491

Brisbane City Womens Supported Accommodation

07 3832 1491

Brisbane North Supported Accommodation

32-54 Hayward Street, Stafford
07 3880 3550

8.30am - 4.30pm

Caboolture Supported Accommodation

Unit C 80 King Street, Caboolture
07 5495 3700

8.30am - 4.30pm

Mary Street Supported Accommodation

7-9 Mary Street, Caboolture
07 54953700

8.00am - 4.00pm

Cairns Supported Accommodation

281-289 Sheridan Street, Cairns
07 4031 4432

24/7

Gold Coast Supported Accommodation (Still Waters)

173 Wardoo Street, Southport
07 5591 3980

24/7

Mt Isa Supported Accommodation (Serenity House)

4 Helen Street, Mt Isa
07 4744 5308

8.00am - 5.00pm

Sunshine Coast Supported Accommodation

4-6 Maud Street, Nambour
07 5455 5109

8.30am - 4.30pm

Toowoomba Supported Accommodation

78 West Street, Toowoomba
07 4632 1799

8.30am - 4.30pm

South Australia

Port Augusta Community Services

Shop 1, 96 Carlton Parade, Port Augusta
p 1800 033 910

Toward Home - Resolve

1800 809 273

Tasmania

Oakleigh Accommodation Services

103 Wilson Street, Burnie
03 6430 4100
24/7 and on call

Emergency and Transitional Accommodation for Men; Women and children experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Eligibility criteria including any restrictions for example the program only covers particular suburbs - Women and children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic family violence.

Assistance with Care and Housing (south and north)

250 Liverpool Street, Hobart and 111 Elizabeth Street, Launceston
03 6270 03 or 03 6323 7500

8.30am - 4.30pm

Support for older people who are at risk of homelessness. Eligibility criteria including any restrictions for example the program only covers particular suburbs  - Men, Women over 50 years who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Housing Connect SASH

117 Main Road, New Town
03 6278 2817

8.30am - 4.30pm and on-call.

Crisis and Transitional Support
Eligibility criteria including any restrictions for example the program only covers particular suburbs - Men, women and children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness

Beyond the Wire

117 Main Road, New Town
03 6278 2817

8.30am - 4.30pm and on-call

Pre and Post release support for people at risk of homelessness exiting the Justice System. Eligibility criteria including any restrictions for example the program only covers particular suburbs - Women and men at risk of homelessness on release from Justice System.

Tas. Street to Home

117 Main Road, New Town
03 6278 2817

8.30am - 4.30pm and on-call

Crisis support to rough sleepers. Eligibility criteria including any restrictions for example the program only covers particular suburbs  - Men, women and children who are experiencing primary homelessness.

Victoria

Ballarat

6 Crompton Street, Soldiers Hill
p 03 5329 1100
9.00 am – 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday

Barwon

35 Myers Street, Geelong
p 03 5223 5426

9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday

Eastern Melbourne
353 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading
p 03 9890 7144
9.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday

Flagstaff Residential Services

9 Roden Street, West Melbourne
p 03 9329 4800

Footscray – Foley House

78 Ryan Street, Footscray

p 03 9689 884

Gippsland

2 Long Street, Leongatha
p 03 5662 6400
9.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday

North Melbourne – The Open Door

166 Boundary Road, North Melbourne
p 03 9329 6988

Northern Region

27 Wyndham St, Shepparton
p 03 5820 8000

9.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday

Peninsula

37 Ross Smith Ave Frankston
p 03 9784 5000
9.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday

Rosebud

17-19 Ninth Avenue Rosebud
p 03 5986 0000
9.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday

Seymour

Shop 5/6 The Mall, 78 Station Street, Seymour
p 03 5799 2583

9.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday

St Kilda Crisis Centre

29 Grey Street, St Kilda
p 1800 627 727 or 9536 7777

Wangaratta – Outreach Connections Program

39 Ovens Street, Wangaratta
p 03 5820 8000

9.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday

Western Metro

6/147 Harvester Road, Sunshine
p 03 9312 5224
9.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday

Wimmera South West

70 Henna Street, Warrnambool | 03 5564 9111
33 Henty Street, Portland | 03 5523 3749
246 Gray Street, Hamilton | 03 5572 5822 (9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday)
12 Kalkee Road, Horsham | 03 5382 1770

Wodonga – Outreach Connections Program

210 Lawrence Street, Wodonga, Vic, 3690
p 03 6024 2393
9.00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday

Western Australia

Assisted Rental Pathways Program

10-18 Lavant Way, Balga
p 08 9349 7488
9.00am - 5.00pm
Adults over 18 years

Family Accommodation Program

10-18 Lavant Way, Balga
08 9349 7488
9.00am - 5.00pm Monday to Friday
Adults over 18 years

Bunbury Emergency Accommodation, Referral and Support Service

Corner Bussell Highway and Timperley Road, Bunbury
08 9721 4519 
8.00am - 4.00pm Monday to Friday
Adults over 18 years

Geraldton Emergency Accommodation, Referral and Support Service

42 Ainsworth Street, Geraldton
08 9964 3627 Extension: 121
8.00am - 4.00pm Monday to Friday
Adults over 18 years

The Beacon Emergency Accommodation, Referral and Support Service

9 Aberdeen Street, Northbridge
08 9492 7100
24 hours
Adults over 18 years

Kalgoorlie Emergency Accommodation, Referral and Support Service

Corner O'Berthur and Hopetoun Street, South Kalgoorlie
08 9021 2255
9.00am - 3.00pm Monday to Friday
Adults over 18 years

Respecting and supporting diversity and inclusion among our homelessness services 

The Salvation Army Homelessness Stream is committed to providing services that are inclusive and welcoming to all people – regardless of age, culture, ability, language spoken, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and intersex status.  

Our homelessness services are informed by a Model of Care which is based on current best practice evidence and supported by an intersectional human rights framework. The following elements of the Model of Care underpin The Salvation Army’s homelessness support services: 

What works matters to us. We look at evidence and research to tell us how, when and where best to assist, we safely collect, store and analyse data, listen to the people accessing our services, and we adjust our systems. We analyse our homelessness programs’ fulfilment of people’s aims and goals over time to see how they can be improved.

People should be able to know what we do, find us when they need us, and approach us from wherever they are or have us join with them whatever the barriers might be. Through a No Wrong Door approach, we work alongside each person to identify what is needed, provide service, and find and refer to a service that can help in other areas.

Our highest priority is the safety of the people we serve and our staff. We use established tools, practices and systems to assess risk and act to ensure safety, especially at known critical points of risk. We are flexible to meet the needs of people, using our data and reporting to understand emerging situations and trends, while maintaining an agile workforce, ready to provide the best care in challenging situations, and work to mitigate underlying causes of risk.

We guarantee that we work in a way that is open and accountable to the person we are assisting and to the community, using professional standards and services to support the work we do. We check and monitor our work and people to ensure a workforce that will manage sensitive matters with honesty and in good faith. Our workforce is professionally trained, accredited and supported.

We work on behalf of, with, and through, people to address barriers and improve systems, collaborating and working with others when necessary or to enhance the result. We actively work to empower people to advocate on their own behalf and, through awareness of available supports and resources, to exert choice and control over their situations.

Ending homelessness is only possible with a strong focus to assist people to keep or find suitable, safe and affordable housing – not just building more homeless shelters. We employ a variety of approaches to housing, mirroring the diversity of need, and work to match each person and household to the best outcome. We are family-focused, engaging children’s and parenting support and linking to resources to best support the family to maintain housing and connect to the community in which they live.

Housing is a human right, and we fight to have that right observed. We provide accredited services where people’s rights are enshrined in law, and systems to encourage people to share their experience with us so we can continuously improve our services. People using our homelessness support services are encouraged to know and exercise their rights, including consumer rights to a quality service.

Our services place the individual at the heart of care and recognise in practice an individuals’ right to guide the work we do together; acknowledging that we facilitate, rather than determine, a person’s journey. We recognise and reinforce an individual’s abilities, strengths and capabilities, linking to community supports, harnessing these to work through and overcome difficult situations.

We acknowledge the traumas that lie at the heart of homelessness. Our services support positive environments that provide safety and opportunities for people to gain control and self-determination.

A fundamental feature of our homelessness services is respecting and accommodating a person’s cultural identity and affiliation. We celebrate and value all people in culturally safe environments where acceptance of a broad range of human experience strengthens us all and difference is held as a virtue. We know that culture is central to a person’s identity and sense of belonging and our practices ensure cultural rights, values, beliefs and expectations are respected.

We build on the rich tradition of supportive pastoral practices that meet or facilitate physical, psycho-social, spiritual and emotional needs, without discrimination or obligation, connecting to people in the way and to the extent they wish.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, Asexual/Ally: we affirm the rights of the people who identify through this evolving (hence ‘+’) representation of people’s expression of their own gender and sexuality. Our services are sensitive to, and inclusive of, the needs of LGBTIQA+ people. We are committed to making sure our services are safe and welcoming spaces enabling LGBTIQA+ people to thrive.

Rainbow Tick Accreditation Logo

Rainbow Tick Accreditation

You can access 16 of our Victorian homelessness program locations that are Rainbow Tick accreditated. ​

The right to self-determination and cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is respected and upheld. We are committed to delivering culturally safe services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The voice of people who have experienced homelessness is central to designing and delivering effective responses to homelessness across the organisation; recognising that people with a lived experience of homelessness are uniquely placed to offer insight, opinion and critique on all aspects of our services.

Demonstrating our commitment to inclusion in our homelessness support services 

We recognise the challenges and barriers experienced by people who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, LGBTIQA+, culturally and linguistically diverse, living with a disability and/or from a migrant or refugee background. We are committed to making sure our Salvation Army homelessness support services are safe and welcoming spaces. We offer equity of access to support as a core condition of service delivery. Some of the ways we demonstrate this commitment are through: 

  • Ensuring all people participate in, and have control over, decision making matters which affect their lives 
  • Providing staff with workplace cultural support and professional development, including opportunities to critically reflect on their own beliefs, values and understanding of culture(s) and the perspectives of others, and are committed to learning to avoid barriers and cultural biases in service delivery
  • Providing access to appropriate and trained interpreters
  • Getting to know clients to ensure we have a genuine understanding about what is important to them and our services are culturally safe for them 
  • Actively engaging the expertise of relevant cultural and support organisations, advocates, community leaders, elders and individuals to develop our understanding of the unique issues facing our communities and peoples 

Homelessness support services that welcome First Nations peoples

  • Facilitating pathways and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations relevant to their needs 
  • Committing to advancing The Salvation Army Reconciliation Action Plan and acknowledging the Traditional Owners of country in meetings, events and gatherings
  • Connecting with elders in communities to develop local partnerships 
  • Embracing and participating in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander days of significance; recognising history, culture and achievements 

Homelessness support services that welcome people from the LGBTIQA+ community

  • Maintaining confidentiality and not disclosing a person’s gender identity, sexual orientation, or intersex status without consent
  • Respecting people’s genders by correctly using names and pronouns
  • Developing and maintaining relationships with LGBTIQA+ specialist services
  • Facilitating LGBTIQA+ training for our staff to ensure our services are inclusive 
  • Ensuring local services have procedures and practice guidance to implement LGBTIQA+ inclusive services 

Rainbow Tick Accreditation Logo

Rainbow Tick Accredited

You can feel even more safe at 16 of our Victorian homelessness locations that are Rainbow Tick Accredited. ​

Homelessness support services that welcome people living with a disability

  • Delivering services and programs that are designed in such a way that any person living with a disability can participate in all programs, events and activities 
  • Ensuring our physical and social environments are accessible and safe  
  • Ensuring people with disability have the same opportunities as other people to access buildings and other facilities  
  • Ensuring people with disability receive information from our services in a format that will enable them to access the information readily 
  • Ensuring people with disability have the same opportunities as other people to provide meaningful feedback to our services, including comments, compliments and complaints, and have the same opportunities as other people to participate in all public consultation by The Salvation Army

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The Salvation Army Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders past, present and future.

We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of people of all ages, particularly children.

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The Salvation Army is an international movement. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name with love and without discrimination.

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