Nova assists women who are at risk or experiencing homelessness by offering information, advice, referral and advocacy support to sustain their current accommodation. Nova also offers post-crisis support to women who have been rehoused to enable them to sustain their tenancy.
Nova will work quickly with women who become homeless, to help identify affordable private rental, social housing or other suitable long-term, sustainable housing; if required, the provision of safe and supported interim accommodation. Nova will provide case management, and links to supports such as education and employment.
The Domestic Violence Enhancement (DVRE) program enhances the services response for women and children who are in unsafe housing, homeless, or at risk of homelessness, as a result of domestic and family violence. The DVRE program offers after hours support (including risk assessment, safety planning, case management and monitoring), intake, and increasing interim accommodation and transitional housing options.
Nova for Women and Children provides Interim Accommodation. This service is available for women and/or women with accompanying children experiencing homelessness or who have fled domestic or family violence.
Clients are then provided with intensive case management by onsite case workers Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and crisis phone support 24/7 if support workers are not onsite. Case workers work in partnership with clients, housing providers and mainstream services to develop and implement tailored case plans aimed at moving clients out of homelessness as quick as possible.
The hub is located in the heart of Newcastle at 558 Hunter Street, Newcastle West, close to DCJ Housing, and other services. The hub is distinctive because it is a heritage listed building with a brightly coloured fridge on the verandah which serves as our Book Library. The building also has bright red hearts on the front and, in winter, a clothing rack with warm coats, scarves, gloves and beanies.
Within the hub we offer a safe place for women with or without children to access assistance with homelessness and domestic violence and a place to have something to eat, a shower if they like, free toiletries and clothes and a washing machine and dryer.
The hub also serves as a head office for Nova and is where our admin team, Outreach Case Workers, DVRE Case Workers and Intake team are located.
Our Charlestown Hub is located behind Charlestown Square at 21 Canberra Street, Charlestown, and is the only drop-in hub in the Lake Macquarie area for women and children at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness and domestic and family violence.
Similar to the Newcastle West hub, the Charlestown Hub offers women with or without children a safe place to access assistance with homelessness and domestic violence and a place to have something to eat, a shower if they like, free toiletries and clothes and a washing machine and dryer.
The hub also serves as a work space for Outreach Case Workers and DVRE Case Workers as part of Nova’s Domestic Violence Response Enhancement Project. (DVRE)
Nova for Women and Children provides Transitional Accommodation for a period of up to 12 months, reviewed 3 monthly. Clients are provided with intensive case management using a client centred approach, to work through identified goals, providing post-crisis support, safe accommodation, advocacy and support into safe and affordable long-term housing through collaboration with housing providers, the private rental market and mainstream services.
Nova for Women and Children provides outreach support to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and/or experiencing family and domestic violence. This support will include an initial assessment, identification of needs, and support to access services. Outreach support assists women to sustain tenancies that are at risk, or to assist with finding alternative accommodation if needed.
Nova has partnered with other organisations to provide easy access to our services out in the community.
Our Mobile Outreach Unit, affectionately nicknamed 'Betty', is utilised at Community Events to provide information, advice, referral and education.
Our medium term accommodation offers women and their children a 3 month occupancy giving them a safe and secure base in which to find a long term home. Women are supported with intensive case management to provide advocacy and support during their occupancy. This property can be utilised for women with sons who are too old to accompany their mothers into interim accommodation and clients who, for a variety of reasons, feel unsafe in communal living spaces.
Photos on this page courtesy of Little Kite Photography.
