Working together to make a difference

When people in Wagga Wagga fall on hard times, the team at Edel Quinn is there to offer a hand up.

“When someone comes to us, they're probably in the highest distress that they've had in their life,” explains Damien Adams, Homelessness and Housing Manager.

“We try to alleviate that – a caseworker / counsellor / psychologist all wrapped into one.”

Damien oversees St Vincent de Paul Society NSW’s homelessness and housing services in the region, which supported 244 people with accommodation and case management during the last year.

Edel Quinn is regularly at capacity with 16 rooms accommodating up to 18 people on any given night. Housing pressures are among the leading reasons for people seeking assistance with evictions accounting for a quarter of all cases.

More than 700 applicants are waiting for social housing in Wagga Wagga, including 80 on the priority list. Rough sleeping is also cause for concern in the community with the number of people doubling from 6 to 13 over the past year, not inclusive of tents or couch surfers.

In the face of so many challenges stemming from the housing crisis, the team at Edel Quinn strives to support everyone who walks through the doors with their immediate needs while working towards securing longer-term housing.

Edel Quinn has been able to accommodate close to 60 people into transitional housing during the last financial year. Inside the first six months of this financial year, a further 33 people have secured tenancies.

Collaboration has been central to these impactful results with Edel Quinn working alongside Homes NSW and housing providers locally. 

Homes are sourced through providers such as Argyle Housing with Edel Quinn delivering case management for tenants. Other homes have been found by reaching out to caravan parks, while a pilot devised in collaboration with Homes NSW is seeing government staff come on-site once a week to aid in service delivery.

“By building those relationships between services and businesses, we're getting more opportunities when homes become available in the community.”

Damien’s dedication to delivering for the people Edel Quinn assists has seen him recognised with an Argyle Housing Stakeholder Award.

For Damien, the individual award comes down to the effort of the collective team.

“We're one team, we work together with the same goal in mind.

“Let's find a way to get it done.”