Talking to a homelessness service — what to expect
Somewhere to stay · 6 min read
The first call is mostly questions. Knowing what they are — and why they ask — makes it much less daunting, and gets you a better answer.
What they will ask
Expect around ten minutes of questions. They are not testing you and there is no wrong answer — the questions decide which programs you can be offered.
- Where you slept last night, and where you will sleep tonight.
- Who is with you — children, a partner, a pet.
- Whether you are safe, and whether anyone is looking for you.
- Income, if any, and whether you are on a Centrelink payment.
- Health, disability or anything that affects the kind of place that will work.
Say the urgent thing first
Start with tonight. "I have nowhere to sleep tonight and I have two kids with me" gets a different response to a longer story that arrives at the same fact ten minutes later. You can fill in the rest afterwards.
What they can and cannot do
Most services can arrange short-term accommodation, food, and help with paperwork. Very few can hand you a long-term home — public housing waiting lists are years long in most of the country, and workers will be honest with you about that.
What a good worker does is get tonight sorted, then start the applications that put you in the queue.
If they say they are full
Ask two things: "Can you refer me to someone who has space?" and "Can I be put on the list and called if something opens?" Then ask when to call back. Services turn over daily and the answer at 4pm is often different to the answer at 9am.
Bring these to an appointment
If you have them. If you do not, still go — nobody is turned away for missing paperwork.
- Photo ID and Medicare card.
- Centrelink customer reference number.
- Any eviction notice, court letter or protection order.
- A phone number you can be reached on, or a friend’s number.
You are allowed to ask for a different worker
If it is not working — if you feel judged, or you would rather speak to a woman, or to an Aboriginal worker — you can ask. It is a normal request and it will not affect your place in the queue.
Before you ring
A few minutes of prep makes the call shorter and the answer better.
- Write down where I slept last night and where I will sleep tonight
- Count who is with me — people, ages, pets
- Find my Centrelink reference number if I have one
- Have ID or a photo of it ready
- Note any medicines or health needs
- Have a phone number they can call back on
- Write down the one urgent thing to say first
- Pen and paper for the worker’s name and reference number
Who to call
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This is general information, not legal, financial or medical advice — the rules differ between states and territories.
Not an emergency service
If you’re in immediate danger, call 000. For family and domestic violence support any time, call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).