Homelessness and Hardship - I need support
- 24 Hour support services
- Accommodation and housing support
- Food assistance
- Financial counselling
- Legal advice
- Domestic violence
- Further information
Click below to view a variety of resources to assist those at risk of, or experiencing homelessness and hardship. If you are in an emergency and need assistance, call Emergency Services on 000 (Ambulance, Police, Fire for life-threatening situations). For non-urgent police assistance, call 131 444.
If English is not your first language, you can get free translation support through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) by phoning 131 450.
24 hour support services
Phone numbers for support and help.
- Beyond Blue
Phone: 1300 22 4636 - Kids Helpline (ages 5 to 25)
Phone: 1800 55 1800 - Lifeline
Phone: 13 11 14 - Mental Health Emergency Line
Phone: 1300 555 788 - Suicide Call Back
Phone: 1300 659 467 - MensLine Australia
Phone: 1300 789 978 - Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC)
Phone: 1800 199 888 - 1800 RESPECT
Phone: 1800 737732 - Q LIFE (LGBTIQ+ Support)
Phone: 1800 184 527 (3pm to midnight AEST, every day) - Alcohol and Drug Support Service
Phone: 9442 5000
Accommodation and housing support
Information on emergency/temporary accommodation and housing.
Accommodation and housing support
Emergency accommodation
- Crisis Care assists with finding urgent accommodation, counselling, support for those escaping domestic violence or with concerns about the wellbeing of a child. For further information contact 1800 199 008
- Entry Point can assess individual circumstances. They can provide information and referrals to specialist homelessness services and other accommodation or support options. For further information contact 1800 124 684
- Youth Futures provides a variety of support to help young people. Services include crisis accommodation, transitional and longer-term accommodation, and support for teenage parents who are homeless or living in unsuitable conditions and are consequently at risk of losing custody of their child. For emergency accommodation phone 9307 4520 and 9300 2677 for all other referrals.
- Wanneroo Engagement and Assessment Team (WEAT) is an assertive outreach service for people and families sleeping rough. For assistance, contact 0419 782 526 or email weat@salvationarmy.org.au
Temporary accommodation
Hotels, motels, hostels and caravan and camping parks are available in the local community and can be found through an internet search. Vacation rentals and homestay accommodations can also be explored. Other alternatives worth looking into include house sharing, house sitting (including pet sitting) and working homestays all of which can also be found online.
Housing
- Australian Red Cross provides Private Tenancy Support for those at risk of losing their private rental housing. Contact 1800 733 276 for more information.
- Circle Green Community Legal provides legal services to residential tenants, and offers advice about navigating court processes and negotiation. For further information contact 6148 3636.
- Consumer Protection has a range of resources to help tenants with renting matters, tenancy issues and advice on the housing options for seniors. For further information contact 1300 304 054.
- Keystart can provide affordable pathways into home ownership through lower entry cost loans, low deposit and shared ownership loan options in partnership with the Housing Authority. For further information, contact 1300 578 278.
- The Home Hub connects people to social and affordable housing.
- The Department of Communities (Housing Authority) provides information to help with public, community and low cost housing, along with rentals and bond assistance for eligible applicants.
Food assistance
Information on charity groups and food distribution organisations.
- St Vincent de Paul
Phone: 1300 794 054 - Mobile Foodbank
Phone: 1800 979 777 - Rainbow Community Services, Girrawheen
Free meal and food hamper
Thursday at Hainsworth Community Centre, Girrawheen - No Limits Perth, Marangaroo
The Hepburn Centre, Marangaroo
Food hampers and laundry service
Phone: 0490 676 979 (Pre-registrations required) - The Pantry WA, Wangara
Phone: 0492 955 712 (Pre-registrations required) - Salvation Army Merriwa
Food, financial services and information.
Phone: 9305 2131 (Pre-registrations required)
26 Jenolan Way, Merriwa - Food 4 All, Yanchep
100 Lindsay Beach Boulevard, Yanchep
Food hampers
Tuesdays 6 – 6:45pm
Phone: 0468 363 617
Facebook: Food4All-QBCC - Salvation Army Heathridge
36 Christmas Avenue, Heathridge
Food, financial services and information
Tuesday and Thursday 9am – 12pm
Phone: 9401 3408 - Grace Anglican Church Café
109 Grand Boulevard, Joondalup
Free meals
Monday and Friday 9am – 1pm
Phone: 9300 0418 - Spiers Centre, Heathridge
2 Albatross Court, Heathridge
Food hampers
Monday to Friday 9am – 3pm
Phone: 9401 2699 - Christian Revival Church Storehouse, Wangara
20 Uppill Place, Wangara
Fresh, frozen and pantry items
Fridays 9 - 11am
Phone: (08) 9277 7172
For two decades, the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal has been helping people experiencing hardship by providing local families with donated goods from the community. Through the generosity of local schools, community groups, businesses and residents - the City distributes hampers to families with the assistance of various charitable organisations.
Find where and when local charity groups and food distribution organisations are providing relief in your area by contacting those listed on the City’s Support Services Guide, or on WAConnect.
Financial counselling
Free financial advice information.
Financial counsellors can provide information, support, advocacy and offer hardship advice. For further information visit the Financial Counsellors website to find a service near you.
- Christians Against Poverty (CAP) offers free, face-to-face debt counselling to anyone in need. CAP empowers individuals to get out of debt and learn valuable budgeting skills. For further information contact 1300 303 929.
- Moneysmart offers helpful advice, tools and information to assist in making sensible financial decisions.
- National Debt Helpline provides information, strategies and guidance to assist those experiencing debt stress. For further information contact 1800 007 007.
- Uniting WA can help when you’re experiencing financial difficulty. They offer face-to-face and video appointments with accredited financial counsellors. To find out more, contact 9220 1255.
- Spiers Centre offers financial hardship services. To find out more, contact 9401 26995.
- Communicare offers free, independent and confidential financial counselling services. To find out more, contact financialcounselling@communicare.org.au
Legal advice
Information on legal advice available throughout the City of Wanneroo.
Legal Aid’s virtual office is available at Clarkson Library every Thursday. They provide legal advice appointments with a lawyer by working through audio-visual technology; covering civil law, criminal law and family law matters. For further information or to secure an appointment contact Legal Aid on 1300 650 579
The Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre provides legal, advocacy, and support services, with offices in Wanneroo, Mirrabooka, Joondalup and Yanchep. For further information, contact 9440 1663.
Circle Green Community Legal provides legal services to residential tenants and offers advice about navigating court processes and negotiation. For further information, contact 6148 3636.
Domestic violence
Support and information for people experiencing domestic violence.
In the event of an emergency, or if you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact the WA Police Force on 000
If it is not an emergency and you require support, you can obtain information from the following support services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
- 1800RESPECT National Sexual Assault Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service provides telephone and online counselling and a referral service. For further information contact 1800 737 732
- Escabags escape bags are free tote bags filled with the necessities that a victim of abuse and his/her children may need when initially escaping a dangerous or abusive situation. Available at all City of Wanneroo Libraries and the Hepburn Centre in Marangaroo.
- Men's Domestic Violence Helpline provides counselling and referrals for male perpetrators and male victims. For further information, contact 1800 000 599
- Women's Domestic Violence Helpline provides support and counselling (including referrals to women’s refuges). For further information, contact 1800 007 339
- Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence provides services and programs for individuals and families experiencing and escaping family and domestic violence. For further information, contact 9300 0340
Further information
Other directories providing help and information.
- AskIzzy is a website that connects people in need with housing, a meal, money help, family violence support, counselling and much more. It is free and anonymous, with thousands of services listed across Australia. If you’re on the Telstra or Vodafone mobile networks, you can access Ask Izzy on your phone even if you don’t have credit or access to Wi-Fi.
- LGBTIQ+ Directory has homelessness support services that are LGBTIQ+ community friendly.
- City of Wanneroo and City of Joondalup Hardship and Homelessness Services Booklet provides a list of local services that provide food, a cuppa, warm clothing or simply someone to talk to, as well as some services located further away that provide specialist homelessness support including assistance with finding accommodation.
- WAConnect is an online directory for services provided in Western Australia. It contains real time search results of emergency relief services, with phone numbers, operating hours and directions on the services available.