Wyong Outreach Program
The causes of homelessness are varied and complex. People staying in our Crisis Refuges are encouraged to address the issues that have resulted in them becoming homeless. Unfortunately the time a person can stay at a Crisis Refuge is limited can be counterproductive, especially for children. One of the biggest problems facing someone leaving a Crisis Refuge is finding affordable housing.
To address this problem and to minimise the time that children stay in our Crisis Refuges, Coast Shelter has accessed a number of properties through which we are able to provide at an affordable rental to a family or individual within the community..
One of the encouraging things about the Outreach Program is the number of people who successfully move on to independence and become contributing community members.
Our Outreach Program has houses, units and bedsits which are located in both the Gosford City and Wyong Shire.
The houses are provided by the Office of Community Housing, Pacific Link Community Housing, Central Coast Tenancy Sheme and private rentals. Participants in the Outreach Program are drawn from our refuges although individuals and families can also be taken directly into the Program.
Funds for the head-leasing of properties in this program are obtained from donations solicited for this purpose from organisations such as Perpetual Trustees, Sanitarium Health Food Company and Central Coast Region of Clubs NSW.
Coast Shelter staff visit each of the people in the Outreach Program on a regular basis to provide practical assistance, including assistance with finding permanent accommodation of their own. Staff are always contactable by telephone if clients feel they need assistance between regular visits.
Staff in the Outreach Program have built an excellent relationship with some of our local Real Estate Agents who are now more than happy to rent houses to Coast Shelter. In fact, it has been possible on some occasions for the person renting from Coast Shelter to take over the lease of the house from Coast Shelter.
Wyong Outreach Program Brochure (167 KB)
