The Shoalhaven homeless situation would be helped, if the St Vincent de Paul Society’s homeless hostel in Nowra, John Purcell House, was open.

The building was closed in October 2015 following a routine engineer’s inspection which determined some remedial building works were required.

A spokesperson for the Society said work on the building is continuing.

“When the renovations are completed the men will move from where they are currently being supported back to Purcell House,” the spokesperson said.

“At this stage we don’t have a completion date.”

The Society remains committed to helping all homeless people in the Shoalhaven.

“A number of properties were leased in North Nowra to ensure there was no disruption to our accommodation support services in the region,” the spokesperson said.

“Support work and case management continues to be provided as normal.

“Our community case managers assist clients wherever they are staying.

“We help them find housing and provide ongoing support to enable them to maintain their tenancies and live independently.

“Crisis accommodation is only one of the services Vinnies provides in the Nowra area for people experiencing homelessness.

“We provide extensive outreach and early intervention services to support men in the area prior to them actually experiencing homelessness.”

“In addition, the Vinnies Van delivers hot meals to people experiencing homelessness at two locations in Nowra each week.

“This service is run by our volunteers in partnership with local high school students and is funded by donations.”

The St Vincent de Paul Society provides many services for people experiencing disadvantage in the Shoalhaven which includes, emergency assistance, food relief, utility bill payments and home visits and Jim da Silva Farm which provides accommodation and social support for men

The new complex was opened in June 2014 and replaced an old 10-bed complex.