Services in the Shoalhaven have battled homelessness in the region for decades - and with a five-year wait list for public housing in the region, the battle is an uphill one.
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Southern Cross Housing, St Vincent de Paul, SALT Ministries, SAHSSI and the NSW Department of Communities and Justice have come together to launch a new program which hopes to reduce homelessness by 50 per cent.
The Southern Cross Housing Assertive Outreach Program will support the NSW State Government's target of reducing street homelessness across NSW by 50 per cent in five years.
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The program will provide better access to support services and a framework for accessing long-term permanent housing.
The model has three stages, stabilisation, consolidation and autonomy. Each stage is managed by the services best equipped to provide that type of support.
SALT Ministries will focus on stabilisation. CEO Peter Dover said the first stage was an opportunity to "nurture and care for people".
"We want to give them a sense of belonging," he said.
"Services coming together is proof we want to see the same goal - people in a home that is their own."
Eric Coulter, of Southern Cross Housing, agreed.
"To have a sustainable community we don't just need equality we need equity," he said.
"With equity we provide opportunity, sometimes this has a cost but equally there is a cost of doing nothing."
