Every person that enters into YWCA Australia’s service delivery programs is given client focused case management support. Our support response to each person is different to ensure they receive support that meets their needs, addresses their challenges and difficulties, promoting recovery and an end to homelessness. We provide over $500,000 worth of brokerage services to our clients each year. With increased demand, we need to raise at least $50,000 by the end of the year to help us support more women requiring our services. In order to assist somebody to find affordable, safe, long-term accommodation and a home, it may be necessary to provide brokerage supports such as:
- Crisis accommodation
- Help paying rent and bond
- Paying for removalists and set-up costs
- Assisting with the replacement of birth certificates, other ID and documentation
- Providing a mobile phone and clothing
- Long term support to access education and training
- Security upgrades to promote safety
All of this empowers women experiencing homelessness, many because of family and domestic violence, to make their house a home and rebuild their lives. Homelessness is one of the most shocking examples of disadvantage and social exclusion in Australia, and “can profoundly affect a person’s mental and physical health, their education and employment opportunities, and their ability to fully participate in society” (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020).