Eight self-contained units in Adelaide’s north will become temporary emergency accommodation for homeless families as part of a new initiative to help find pathways into permanent housing.

Peppertree Place will provide an alternative for families who would otherwise be in hotel rooms, and is a partnership between the Adelaide North West Homelessness Alliance (ANWHA) and the South Australian Housing Authority (SAHA), with UnitingSA acting as the lead agency.

Alliance Senior Manager ANWHA Orla Matthews said the accommodation would provide homeless families with a more suitable alternative to emergency hotel accommodation.

“While some families are able to access emergency hotel accommodation, it’s really not an ideal environment, with families large and small often living and sleeping in one room, with limited access to cooking facilities, and limited access for pets.

“Peppertree Place will be a much better alternative for families, with our support services then able to walk them through the entire process of finding a new, more permanent home.

“With fully equipped kitchens, renovated bathrooms, separate bedrooms and a family living area, these units will provide a safer, more suitable environment for families while we help them to secure longer term options.”

Peppertree Place

The units were previously part of a youth housing initiative, and have more recently been used as offices for community services which have since relocated.

Human Services Minister, the Hon. Nat Cook MP, will officially launch the project at a special event today.

“While so many organisations do amazing work to support those requiring crisis accommodation, we know that families experiencing the stress of homelessness aren’t best served in motel rooms,” Minister Cook said.

“The reasons for this are many, including the fact that space is limited, facilities are not designed for families and crowding can increase an already highly stressful situation for parents and kids,” she said.

“Our vulnerable families need their own space to stabilise, to enhance dignity and prepare themselves for longer-term accommodation.

“Peppertree Place provides an opportunity to trial a residential crisis accommodation model for families. It’s a remarkable place made possible by the State Government in partnership with the Adelaide North-West Homelessness Alliance.”

ANWHA supports people experiencing or at risk of homelessness across Adelaide’s north-west and is a collaboration between Aboriginal Sobriety Group, AnglicareSA, Centacare, SA Housing Authority, St John’s Youth Services, The Salvation Army, Uniting Communities and UnitingSA.

The official opening of Peppertree Place will occur today (20 January 2023).