With the homeless situation in Bega Valley Shire now described as catastrophic, what is being done to alleviate the problem?
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Three of the organisations doing their utmost to help are Mission Australia, South East Women and Children's Services (SEWACS) and the Social Justice Advocates for the Sapphire Coast (SJA).
Mission Australia and SEWACS are funded non-government organisations, while the SJA is a registered charity.
Donna Davis, program manager for Mission Australia's Bega Valley Homelessness Support Service, said its services include the Bega Women's Refuge, transitional properties in Bega, domestic violence support, and assistance to those experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence.
Additionally, it offers outreach support such as assisting people onto the waiting list for social housing, ensuring people have all the packages they are eligible for, advocating for people applying for private rentals and looking at relocating them in the state.
However Ms Davis said Bega Valley was unique in that "it doesn't feel right moving local individuals and families to places where they have no connections or support".
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SEWACS crosses two shires - Eurobodalla and Bega Valley. In Bega it has a youth homelessness support program for 16-25-year-olds who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Caroline Long, regional manager SEWACS, said its Staying Home, Leaving Violence program supports women with or without children to stay in a home of their choice rather than going to a refuge.
The two groups work very closely with SJA.
Organisations have come to depend on caravans
Mick Brosnan started SJA about 11 years ago and now has around 60 volunteers helping him.
SJA's longest running service and the one that houses the most people is transitional crisis accommodation in caravans, which are placed on private properties.
"That short-term solution has come to be depended on by organisations," Mr Brosnan said.
The caravans tend to be towed to caravan parks, friends and family of the homeless, and members of the public who are willing to have a caravan on their property.
In addition to about 12 caravans for the homeless, SJA has 75 caravans in the fire grounds for people who lost their homes during the 2019/20 bushfires.
"Tired of the indignity of caravans", SJA started the It's Up To Us campaign to raise funds to buy two-bedroom transportable units.
The April 2022 Sleep On It challenge was one of the campaign's major events to raise awareness.
Three transportable units for Bega
Initially, SJA bought two transportable units in Pambula and three are due to arrive in Bega on Wednesday, August 10.
SJA has just secured an additional site in a Pambula caravan park for a third transportable unit early in 2023.
Eventually SJA hoped to have eight in total, including two in Eden, although Mr Brosnan was keen for two sites for the Eden units.
They are registered as caravans so can be parked on private property without a council DA.
The units are fully wired, plumbed, insulated and double-glazed "so a lot better than caravans" and cheaper and more spacious than Tiny Homes, Mr Brosnan said.
It feels like we are putting a Band-Aid on a fracture.
- Caroline Long, regional manager, SEWACS
For the last nine years SJA has also used Merimbula's St James House, which has seven or eight apartments.
It is lobbying the state and federal governments to use Nullica Lodge in Eden, which has been vacant since Christmas and has the potential to house 10 or more people.
Mr Brosnan said the shire does not have men's or youth refuges, "both of which should exist".
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