From our Director Julie Duncan
support from the Lang Family Foundation, provided us with the incredible opportunity to do more for women in South Australia. The service has shone a light on the unmet needs of women on our waitlist and allowed us to deliver targeted and purposeful assistance to women navigating life without a safe place to live. The program has been very well received by women in need of assistance, and the impact is well documented through our 12 month summary report. Reflecting on what we have learned, the value of the interventions will be central to our service planning for next year and beyond. The biggest achievement in my year was announcing that we are building New Generation Catherine House. Since joining Housing Choices in 2021, securing the future sustainability of Catherine House has been central to our strategic planning, and New Generation Catherine House is the central pillar in that long-term sustainability strategy.
We have seen a 81% increase in demand this year, and despite the ever- growing unmet need, we have stayed focused, adapting where we can,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Catherine House Annual Report for 2024–2025. Since 1988, Catherine House has remained steadfast in its purpose: ending homelessness for every woman who walks through our doors. In the midst of what is increasingly shaping up to be a national women’s housing crisis, compounded by an unwavering growth in gendered violence, our work has never been more in demand, or essential. The past year has been filled with challenges, opportunity and achievements, and we trust our Annual Report reflects all of this and more. The demand for our services continues to rise, reflecting the national decline in housing affordability and growing income inequality impacting disproportionately on women. Over the year we have witnessed a dramatic increase in demand for support from women in crisis, women who cannot find or afford housing, and women who have lost their housing fleeing from domestic, family, or sexual violence.
We have seen a 81% increase in demand this year, and despite the ever-growing unmet need, we have stayed focused, adapting where we can, while continuing to deliver quality accommodation and support for every woman in our service. Throughout our Annual Report you will read about the many triumphs and powerful examples of how we support women at Catherine House. Preparing the Annual Report has been a truly collaborative effort, with contributions from across the team, highlighting work over the past year. Every statistic shared across these pages represents a woman’s journey – one marked by courage, recovery, and transformation. As the only dedicated women’s homelessness and recovery service in South Australia, our work is transformative, and we trust that this Annual Report demonstrates this impact, along with our deep commitment to providing care that is person-centred and trauma-informed. Catherine House services go beyond providing shelter; we offer education and employment pathways, health and
while continuing to deliver quality accommodation and support for every woman in our service.
wellbeing programs, and opportunities for community connection. Recovery needs much more than a meal and a bed for the night. In the face of growing demand for our services, the dedication of donors has not only ensured we can continue to provide our services but broaden them to further support more women and strengthen our impact. There has been no greater example of this than our newly created Waitlist Support Service. The additional waitlist support work we have delivered this past year, entirely as a result of philanthropic
18 | Catherine House
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