St Vincent de Paul Society Australia genetic logo

The St Vincent de Paul Society offers over 200 services that help people in need.

Safeguarding

Find Help

Membership NSW

Volunteering NSW

Careers NSW

Join the Social Justice Network

Vinnies Service Medallion

Vinnies Youth NSW

Donations of goods and services NSW

Gifts in Wills

Philanthropy

Fundraise for Vinnies NSW

Clothing drives, toy collections and food hampers

Corporate partnerships NSW

Financial donations NSW

Sponsorship NSW

Cause related marketing campaigns NSW

Workplace giving - community support NSW

Vinnies and the Return and Earn Scheme

Vinnies Bag O Rags

Vinnies re/CYCLE range

Vinnies Used Cooking Oil Recycling (VUCOR)

Get involved

Get Involved

<h1>Vinnies Shops</h1>
Everything you buy or donate inspires change in your local community.

Vinnies Shops

Shops

Social Justice Statements

Reports and Submissions

Modern Anti-Slavery Statements

Reconciliation Action Plan

Uluru Statement Resources

Energy NSW

Disability Inclusion Action Plan

Advocacy

About us

Contact Us

History NSW

NSW Strategic Plan

Leadership NSW

Policies NSW

Mission and Formation

About Us

News and stories

NSW Media Releases

Vision Magazine

Impact Magazine

NSW Blog

Your Kind of Good Magazine

NSW Disaster Reports

NSW Annual Reports

News and Stories

| Vinnies

Home

ACT & surrounds

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia

National Council

SVdP Housing Australia

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.”

Rich Text

Image

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.”

Embedded Video