Zirala’s peace of mind

Where the Murray River flows between the twin cities of Albury and Wodonga sits a social housing complex that Zirala calls home. 

This safe haven has come at the end of a long journey, littered with uncertainty, spanning from the north coast of New South Wales down to the Victorian border. 

Now, with a home to call her own and support structures in place, Zirala feels settled, safe and with peace of mind. 

“I love it here. It's a much better lifestyle for me.” 

Having spent her working life in the healthcare industry before retiring at the start of the decade, Zirala was hit with an eviction notice from one rental property only to move and be handed another. 

Going from stability to precarity as one of the many people trying to stay above water, striving to find safety in a limited pool of affordable housing, she recalls the period as a constant state of anxiety. 

“You get that wave of sick feeling in your stomach, because you don't know what's going to happen,” says Zirala. 

“And that's really scary, you don't think or prepare for that. 

“You worked your whole life, you had a stable career, [homelessness] doesn't feel like it's on your horizon.”  

Spending half a year couch surfing while holding out hope for a place to call home, the constant worry of the situation saw her journey south in the hope of a reprieve in a less hectic housing market. 

Staying with friends in Albury as months went by with no word on the status of her social housing waitlist application, the call finally arrived when a housing officer from St Vincent de Paul invited her to see a unit that she would come to call her own. 

“I took it straight away, it's really nice here, and you've got the support.” 

“It took a while to realise that ‘this is really happening.’  

“It's like a miracle, really, for me. I reckon someone's looking out for me up there.”   

The St Vincent de Paul Society has two social housing sites in Albury, operating as part of the Social and Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF) that provides 502 homes across the state. Under the SAHF model, residents are connected with wrap-around support that is tailored to their individual needs. 

For Zirala, this has seen support workers take time out of their weekend to move her belongings into her new home. Furniture and appliances have been provided to replace those that were left behind during previous moves. 

She’s also been able to connect with a local Aboriginal Medical Service to access health support and engage with the community. 

“Nothing was too much trouble, they made sure that I got into the unit with the least amount of trouble.” 

“They go above and beyond in their jobs. I know they're really stretched and you don't want to put any pressure on them because they have a huge job, but they've just been wonderful!” 

As Zirala moves into the next chapter of her life with the support of Vinnies, she is looking forward to volunteering to ensure others don’t have to experience similar instability. 

“Housing is a basic human right. It's not a privilege and everyone has a right to have a roof over their head and be safe.”