Episode Five – The Quest for Safety, and a Christmas Miracle

Unhoused - Voices from the Threshold listens to the voices of those living in unstable housing, those who have lost homes, and those finding it difficult to create or afford a stable home in the Bega Valley NSW. Welcome to Episode 5 of Unhoused, voices from the threshold… in this episode you will hear from two women who have experienced homelessness due to domestic violence, and a family who were unexpectedly asked to leave their rented home. They all speak about some of the issues they faced, including the lack of affordable housing in our region. We also spoke with some of the people working for support services and organisations helping the Bega Valley’s mainstream and First Nations communities. Please note there is a small amount of language in this episode, also, we sometimes found ourselves recording in places that were safe for the participant/s, which was our priority, but didn’t always result in superior sound quality. Also, some names have been changed, however the stories are all true. This podcast has been produced by the Bega Valley Shire Library Service in collaboration with Sapphire Stories, a local story-telling platform. It has been made possible with funds achieved through the NSW Premier’s Department’s Social Cohesion Grant for Local Government, as obtained by the Bega Valley Shire Council. The Unhoused theme music was created by Candy McVeity on a marimba that was hand-made using housing materials for the Bega Public School. Our main Sandcastle Image is by Cobargo artist Ronnie Ayliffe from her ‘Ash Alchemy’ series. If you need help or know someone who does, here are some local support organisations and links: SEWACS (South East Women & Children Services): https://sewacs.org.au/about/ MISSION AUSTRALIA: https://www.missionaustralia.com.au/servicedirectory/211-homelessness/homelessness-housing-support-bega-valley Katungul Women’s Healing Centre, Bega:https://www.katungul.org.au/ Twofold Aboriginal Corporation:https://www.twofoldjigamy.org.au/housing SAPPHIRE NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES:  Non-housing support for children & young people under 18 years. Parents & families. https://sapphireneighbourhoodservices.org.au/ WELLWAYS: Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI)  1300 111 400 LINK2HOME: Link2home is a 24/7 statewide telephone service in New South Wales (NSW) that provides information, assessment, and referrals for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The service is available on 1800 152 152 and is free to call.