Dynamic duo building bridges to housing stability in Hobart
The Salvation Army’s Street to Home (S2H) program is a vital connection point for those experiencing primary homelessness. Connecting with a case worker at S2H could mean the difference between sleeping on the street or in a car and finding a place to call home.
In Hobart, Tasmania, Annie and Chris are S2H facilitators. Their caseload includes about 250 clients each year, who they link with services, drive to appointments and provide with bedding and clothing.
“We work with a lot of complex people,” Annie said. “There are challenges and different dynamics such as substance abuse, mental health and people being released from prison.”
Annie said she and Chris worked well together, yet the role could still be very confronting. She said it was important to know when to hit pause.
“Chris and I have set boundaries, and we debrief a lot on situations,” Annie said. “We don’t promise anything or give anyone false hope. We don’t set anyone up to fail. If someone isn’t engaging appropriately or respectfully, we will step back and disengage until they are ready to appropriately engage.
“People aren’t frustrated with us, they are frustrated with their circumstances. We get that, but we have boundaries in place so both parties are treated with respect and can move forward together.”
Alongside their caseload, Annie and Chris also offer basic assistance to those needing quick help. The S2H program aims to link clients with essential services, with the goal of achieving housing stability. In some cases, Annie and Chris are the primary contacts for services, as clients may not have phones.
“Essentially, we are the middleman in helping people connect to services,” Chris said. “We are out on the street all the time; our office is our car.”
Once clients access housing, Annie and Chris stay in touch. They might even drop in to say hi.
“It’s hard when you have been homeless and you are then given a house,” Annie said. “You can’t always just give someone a set of keys and leave them to it; they need life skills.”
Chris said they even assist clients with the basics of setting up a home.
“Things like sorting rent, working with services, organising furniture, and swapping power over can be a lot for someone to take in,” he said.
Annie said the pair meet some amazing people with whom they get to journey alongside. Both of them said the job is unpredictable, and they love that about it.
“We never know what is going to happen,” Chris said. “You never know who you are going to meet or what kind of situation you are going to come across.”
S2H is operated by the Salvation Army and funded by Homes Tasmania. To find out more about the program see here.
All information and quotes in this story used with permission from Homes Tasmania. The original story can be seen here.
