Great Lakes Manning Homelessness Support Service – Samaritans North Coast Taree Office
Housing NSW
Housing NSW is an agency of the NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) The regional office is in Taree Level 1, 242 Victoria Street Taree 2430 PHONE: 02 5594 2080
To apply for public and/or community housing an Application for Housing Assistance form and a Social Housing Supplement form must be completed and submitted to the local office (Taree) with supporting documentation. The relevant forms are available form the Housing NSW website http://www.housingpathways.nsw.gov.au/Additional+Information/Forms.htm
RENTAL BOND ASSISTANCE
Housing NSW provides Bond Loan Assistance via the Rentstart service. Standard assistance is an interest free loan for 75% of the Bond amount. The application forms can be picked up from the Forster Neighbourhood Centre now located at 1 Coral Avenue TUNCURRY Mon-Thurs 9am – 4pm
Rentstart Bond Assistance can be contacted on 1300 468 746
Housing NSW (Taree) can be contacted on: (02) 5594 2080
Housing NSW offers Temporary (emergency) accommodation assistance for eligible persons. If you are homeless and in need of assistance please phone Link 2 Home on 1800 152 152 for an initial assessment.
Youth Homelessness
Youth Refuge in Taree “Bayami Ganya Youth Homelessness Service” can assist young persons up to age 24 with housing enquiries. Phone: 6551 6996
About Homelessness in the Great Lakes area
Homelessness results in social and economic costs to individuals, families, communities and our nation. Homelessness has such an effect on people’s lives that it forces them away from their family, friends and severs the ties between the person and the community. It makes it difficult to maintain relationships and participate in sustainable education/employment. Homelessness within Australia means that almost 1 in every 200 Australians live without one of their most basic human rights.
The Great Lakes Housing and Homelessness Working Group formed in May 2011 following two public forums on the topic. The FNC Manager and one of the new NCAP workers have been elected to represent the Great Lakes area on the Mid North Coast Housing and Homelessness Regional Forum.
The FNC conducted a 3 week survey on housing related issues early 2011. The survey identified “The total number of ‘occasions of service’ delivered by the FNC in 3 weeks = 705. 178 of those were housing related – reflecting 62 families who had either: (i) recently been homeless (ii) were currently homeless or (iii) were about to become homeless.”
Local Priorities
The public forums and liaison with other organisations have identified local priorities (i) accommodation for women and children in crisis (ii) accommodation support for ex-offenders and Housing NSW Temporary Accommodation to expand options from that of motels.
What Next
Regarding accommodation for women and children in crisis, the FNC Women’s Shed project has as one of it’s aims “to secure emergency accommodation for women and children in crisis within the Forster and Tuncurry area”. Community support will be essential to compliment any government funding for this initiative. The FNC will be applying to the State Government at the end of October for community infrastructure funding as a contribution to a Family Support Centre incorporating a women’s resource centre for the Forster area. More funding opportunities will be available at the end of the year through a regional development infrastructure grant.
If you wish to support the FNC’s initiatives by way of a support letter or would like more information on local initiatives to combat homelessness, contact the Manager at the FNC.
WOMEN’S COMMUNITY SHELTERS Pledge Form
You can donate to Forster Tuncurry Shelter Appeal via several methods. The quickest and easiest way to donate is via the Give Now website https://www.givenow.com.au/