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

Catherine House Inc. has 15 accommodation sites, (one emergency, 13 transitional and one permanent), in the inner city of Adelaide accommodating up to 47 women each night.

The emergency supported accommodation program accommodates, and works with, up to 16 clients for up to one month. Clients usually stay in the transitional supported accommodation program and case managed for around 6/12 months, and residents in the permanent supported accommodation site can live there until they choose to move on.

Over 700 women a year arrive at the door of the emergency accommodation program; on average 56 women each month. Women can self-refer, however welfare services, hospitals, prison, Crisis Care and police are the main sources 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 lived in poverty or gone to private schools or university or have/had a career or been in their own business. Homelessness defies class and social distinction in our community; we can work with women from any suburb, any street, or any country town in South Australia. At the same time, we can work with women from interstate and relatively new migrants. Approximately 20% of our clients are Aboriginal and 10% are from linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Catherine House employs 56 full time, part time and casual staff including administration staff, housekeepers, social workers, community service workers, a co-morbidity clinician, educators and those with a corporate background. It is governed by a skilled Board and its members bring a wide range of expertise. The Board is supported in its work by a Trust, which is the dedicated fundraising arm of the organisation.

There are over 70 invaluable volunteers who work in various roles across the organisation.

If you would like more information please contact us for our Prospectus or we invite you to complete the enquiry form.