In February 2013, the NSW government launched the Going Home Staying Home (GHSH) reform plan, focusing on early intervention and a “no wrong door” policy. Service provider members of the program are called Specialist Homelessness Services.

 WUNH is one of the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) in Northern NSW. Our WUNH SHS program is a person centred, client-focused program for women, children and young people who have experienced Domestic family Violence.

 Our support workers collaborate with other local services, Housing NSW and the Link2home homelessness hot-line, and referral service, to tailor support to client needs.

 Link2home provides information about local services, assesses the kinds of help callers need and refers callers onto the appropriate specialist homelessness service, support service, temporary accommodation, or other services.

 Department of Community and Justice funds SHS services in order to increase the proportion of homeless and SHS clients who can establish and keep long-term accommodation, while reducing:

the proportion of clients who experience repeat homelessness or have difficulty sustaining housing,

the proportion of people who are turned away from SHS services, the need for temporary accommodation,

the number of clients who exit hospital, correctional facilities and the like into homelessness.

The Northern NSW District will receive $6.53 million, representing a $1.03 million increase on the previous year, for six service packages to support 4,223 clients who are, or are at risk of becoming, homeless. Of these, 41% are predicted to be families and 21% women.

The six service packages are:

• Homelessness support services for First Nations women experiencing domestic violence,
• Homelessness support services for women experiencing domestic violence,
• First Nations homelessness and prevention service,
• Youth homelessness support service,
• Accommodation and support service,
• Specialist complex case homelessness service.

Women Up North Housing, as part of the Northern NSW Community Programs alliance, was awarded funding to deliver homelessness support services for First Nations and non-First Nations women, young women and their accompanying children experiencing domestic violence.

These services will:

• target First Nations and non-First Nations, with or without children, who are escaping domestic and family violence and are at imminent risk of homelessness or have become homeless,
• support them to remain safely in their existing housing or assist them to secure and sustain safe and stable housing,
• provide crisis and transitional accommodation and support
• work with women to resolve their homelessness as quickly as possible,
• provide women who have been re-housed after being homeless with multifaceted supports to stay housed,
• include intensive responses for women with complex needs.

Women Up North Housing delivers the Domestic Violence service packages in our local LGAs.

 To ensure we meet our compliance requirements, Women Up North Housing delivers services in accordance with DCJ's SHS Program Level Agreements and Service Delivery Schedules in collaboration with lead agency Momentum collective and our Joint Working Agreement Northern NSW SHS alliance members: Clarence Women’s Services, Boolangle Land Council, Gurehlgam corp. ltd., Casino Neighbourhood Centre and Northern Rivers Gateway . Our SHS alliance also participates in the DCJ led District Homelessness Inter-agency Groups