As the chill of winter begins to take hold, Adelaide’s Hutt St Centre has reported a surge in the number of visitors seeking its services, with the numbers dramatically increasing as economic pressures tighten.
April witnessed a noticeable jump in unique visitors to the Wellbeing Centre, marking a 25 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Particularly concerning is that these figures include a significant amount of new clients, with more than a third experiencing homelessness for the first time.
Chris Burns, the Chief Executive of Hutt St Centre, shared “We are facing serious cost-of-living and housing crises and it is being reflected in the record number of people seeking support from Hutt St Centre.” The crises have altered the profiles of the people seeking assistance, including younger individuals and previously housed people facing sudden homelessness.
Mr Burns highlighted the dire circumstances leading people to the Centre. “More people are sleeping rough or have insecure housing situations; more people are foregoing meals to offset skyrocketing rents and bills, and more people are reaching out to services like our Wellbeing Centre where they can access support services, have a hot meal and a shower, and feel safe,” he explained.
To manage this surge, the Centre has set new records in service provision. In April alone, 4,388 meals were served—an all-time high with breakfast and lunch servings seeing significant increases of 22 per cent and 39 per cent, respectively. The use of showers, laundry services, and medical consultations have also seen increases ranging from 16 per cent to 26 per cent.
Last April, visits to the Wellbeing Centre escalated by 31 per cent to total 3,925, with 112 of these being new clients. An alarming 36.6 per cent of the new clients were experiencing homelessness for the first time.
Mr Burns also provided statistics noting an increase in the percentage of visitors who were sleeping rough and an increasing proportion of women among the visitors. “These statistics are not just numbers on a melody sheet, it’s about the people who are experiencing genuine hardship,” he noted.
The Centre is bracing for further increases in client numbers as winter progresses, expecting more rains and consistently cooler days. “Our challenge is to ensure we can help each person in some way, and we thank our staff and volunteers for providing as much help as they can, and to those who have donated to Hutt St Centre and our Winter Appeal so far,” Mr Burns expressed.
The Hutt St Centre is seeking support through its ongoing Winter Appeal, which aims to raise funds to support the increasing influx of people in need. Those wishing to contribute to the cause can do so by donating through their campaign page.
Hutt St Centre’s Winter Appeal is currently underway, to raise funds to support the increasing
number of people in need.
To donate, click here https://www.huttstcentre.org.au/campaign/view/winter-appeal-2024
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