Upper West Homelessness and Housing Support Service

The Upper West Homelessness and Housing Support Service supports young people, adult men and women, and families, including those who are escaping domestic and family violence, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

It provides crisis and transitional accommodation with an emphasis on existing clients into stable housing. It also provides brokerage, case management and provides immediate interventions and support to clients experiencing domestic and/or family violence to remain in the family home or to be safely rehoused.

Early intervention and post-crisis support is also provided, as well as helping clients to access long-term secure accommodation, and supports them to maintain these tenancies.

This service supports and facilitate young people’s access to education, training and employment services. Outreach is provided to those who are couch surfing and facilitating access to family reconciliation services.

This service has a strong focus on Aboriginal people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse background. It also provides Domestic Violence Response Enhancement (DVRE) to strength their after-hours responses to women in crisis.

This service provides the following safe house and refuges:

• Lightning Ridge Women’s Safe House – (24/7 response)
• Brewarrina Women and Children’s Safe House - (24/7 response)
• Barwon Cottage Women's & Children's Refuge (24/7 response)
• Men’s Refuge - Namoi House (24/7 response)