Each year, The Hutt Street Centre provides around 40,000 meals and offers social work and support services to nearly 2,000 people. Starting in 1954, The Hutt Street Centre has been a safe place for South Australian’s to visit and feel safe.
What does the Hutt Street Centre provide?
The centre provides the following:
Showers, laundry facilities, visiting health professionals, an aged city living program for older clients, recreation activities, education and training, legal aid and assistance with finding housing. These services are provided to up to 200 people experiencing homelessness each day.
What is their mission statement?
Our Vision:
An end to homelessness
Our Mission:
To advocate with and empower people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, supporting them to rebuild their lives on their pathway to a suitable home.
Our Values:
Respect each person: A high regard for the worth and dignity of each person.
Provide quality service: Responding to the needs of others in a caring and professional manner.
Encourage simplicity: Honesty, integrity, transparency and clarity of focus.
Advocate: Lobbying, advocacy, and supporting the cause for people most disadvantaged in our society.
Value spirituality: Recognise that love is infinite and innovative in delivering care and services to those in need.
What is homelessness?
Homelessness is the state or condition of having no home. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) definition states that when a person does not have suitable accommodation alternatives they are considered homeless does not have suitable accommodation alternatives they are considered homeless if their current living arrangement:
- is in a dwelling that is inadequate; or
- has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable; or
- does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations.
Homelessness is therefore a lack of one or more of the elements that represent ‘home’.
Mackenzie and Chamberlain’s cultural definition includes three categories in recognition of the diversity of homelessness:
- Primary homelessness is experienced by people without conventional accommodation (e.g. sleeping rough or improved dwellings);
- Secondary homelessness is experienced by people who frequently move from one temporary shelter to another (e.g. emergency accommodation, youth refuges ‘couch surfing’)
- Tertiary homelessness is experienced by people staying in accommodation that falls below minimum community standards (e.g. boarding house and caravan parks).
How many people are homeless in South Australia?
There are roughly 5,985 people in South Australia experiencing homelessness.
Myths about homelessness
‘Homeless people are responsible for their own predicament.’ FALSE
There are many reasons why a person could be homeless and this can involve complex factors such as lack of adequate and affordable accommodation, loss of employment, sexual abuse, hazardous drug and alcohol use, grief and loss, domestic violence, family breakdown and mental health.
‘There is already plenty of affordable accommodation available for homeless people.’ FALSE
Numerous reports and reviews across both government and non-government sectors have highlighted an alarming decrease in the availability of low cost accommodation. There are huge waiting lists for public and community housing.
There are many ways to support the Hutt Street Centre for the positive impact they are making on the community. This includes: purchasing hot meals, donating, fundraisers, donating goods and more.
Follow the link below to see what options there are.
Opening hours & location
Wellbeing Centre
Monday-Friday 7:30am-1:00pm
Saturday 7:00am-9:00am
Administration Reception
Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:30pm