A home for a home: Foundation Barossa and Homburg unite to support the Barossa's homeless

Those who are living rough in the Barossa are set to receive a new boost of support, thanks to the renewal of the partnership between Foundation Barossa and Homburg Real Estate.

The new contract for the Homburg Homeless Prevention and Response fund was completed last Wednesday, with Homburg to make a donation to the fund for every property settled and every new rental property listing.

Foundation Barossa CEO Annabelle Travaglione said the new contract is expected to contribute over $20,000 per year to the fund.

“This is a wonderful example of a local business using its everyday success to create community impact. Homburg has been part of this community for generations, and this important partnership means that as their business succeeds, they are also investing back into the wellbeing of the community that supports them," said Annabelle.

While continuing to support those already facing homelessness, the fund is now also seeking to engage in early intervention and prevention support, including wrap-around services addressing the underlying causes of housing insecurity, outreach programs connecting vulnerable people with appropriate services, community education and awareness, and partnerships that strengthen coordination between local homelessness and support services.

The fund will continue to support emergency accommodation and immediate crisis support.

"Our focus is not only on responding to homelessness. It is about acting earlier, when timely, practical support can prevent a housing crisis from escalating," said Annabelle.

Since 2021 Foundation Barossa and Homburg have worked in partnership to support those in the Barossa facing homelessness, with Homburg donating $86,000 to date.

This has supported the opening of four Kids Under Cover youth homelessness prevention studios in conjunction with funding from the community and State Government.

Homburg's Rohan Semmler said it was important for the business to be able to give back to the community.

Homelessness

Homelessness is often a result of a series a complex factors, with financial stress, family violence, mental health challenges, isolation, rising living costs and sudden life crisis being among the most common.

While many think of homelessness as sleeping on the street, the Australian Bureau of Statistics also considers anyone who ‘does not have suitable accommodation alternatives’ to be homeless, including those who may be couch-surfing, moving between temporary or emergency accommodations, and those who are in overcrowded dwellings.

According to the latest stats by Centacare, there are over 65 young people in the Barossa aged under 24 currently experiencing homelessness, with some aged as young as nine.

Of those people, 53 per cent of people have a mental health condition, 11 per cent have experienced violence and 11 per cent live with disability.

One of the largest growing cohorts of homelessness is women aged over 55 due to relationship breakdowns.