Catherine House Inc. was established in 1988 by the Sisters of Mercy. It is the only provider of supported accommodation in South Australia for women over 21 years, unaccompanied by children, who are homeless for reasons other than domestic violence.

Catherine House Inc. has 16 houses, one emergency house and 15 transitional houses, in the inner city of Adelaide accommodating up to 48 clients a night.

The emergency supported accommodation program can house, and work with, up to 16 clients who can stay for up to one month in the program. Clients usually stay in the transitional supported accommodation program  for around 6/12 months.

Over 700 women a year come to Catherine House; on average 56 women are referred to the emergency accommodation program each month. Welfare services, hospitals, prison, Crisis Care, police are the main source of referrals.

Clients who use the program present with a range of complex overlapping issues including mental illness, drug and alcohol problems, gambling, domestic violence, relationship and family breakdown. The most common factor in the profile of women who come to the organisation is the experience of the trauma of childhood sexual abuse.

Women come from across the whole spectrum of society including those who have gone to private schools, university and had a career.

Catherine House employs 40 full time, part time and casual staff including administration staff, housekeepers, social workers, community service workers and a registered psychologist and is governed by a Board of Management.

There are over 80 invaluable volunteers who work in various roles across the organisation.

If you would like more information please see our latest Annual Report or we invite you to complete the enquiry form.