Inverell and Glen Innes
Specialist Homelessness Support

Pathfinders IGHSS Outreach Support Service

The Pathfinders Inverell and Glen Innes Specialist Homelessness Support Service (IGHSS) assists families, single men and women, and young people aged 16 and over with a range of homelessness supports.

We prioritise support for people experiencing domestic and family violence, those that are homeless or in crisis, and people that identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Support services include assistance with finding stable accommodation and maintaining a tenancy, case management services, and support for those experiencing domestic and family violence. We can also facilitate access to financial support programs, advocacy, and making connections with local service providers to overcome barriers that may be impeding their ability to find stable housing.

The IGHSS team provides outreach services to Inverell, Glen Innes, Tenterfield and surrounding areas. We are committed to delivering a client-centred approach to tackling homelessness in Australia.

Getting help

If you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, the IGHSS team can help connect you with appropriate services based on your situation. Our team is available to assist you to find suitable and affordable housing.

If you are in a rental property and need support with maintaining the tenancy, IGHSS can offer living skills supports that will equip you with the appropriate knowledge and skills to continue living in the home.

The IGHSS team offers support with:

completing rental and social housing applications
access to temporary accommodation or emergency accommodation options
referrals to health and wellbeing programs
obtaining required identity documentation needed for housing applications
domestic and family violence support
advice, guidance and advocacy relating to a current tenancy
living skills, including budgeting and how to maintain a tenancy, and
access to financial assistance.

Online Referral

Community engagement

Inverell Community Violence Prevention Team

Inverell and Glen Innes Homelessness Support Service has an active involvement with the Inverell Community Violence Prevention Team. We deliver collaborative awareness projects and work together to identify future and current issues for the community and seek solutions to overcome them.

The Clothesline Project

In 2022, IGHSS delivered a community awareness project called The Clothesline Project in Inverell, Glen Innes and Armidale. The project aimed to raise awareness about the varying types of abuse and enabled victim-survivors to describe their journey or deliver a message of hope to those experiencing abuse.

The project involved participants painting their story or message of hope on a t-shirt (with a coloured shirt identifying a type of abuse or a white shirt for messages). The painted shirts were then displayed in a prominent location in the local CBD for the community to view. Participants advised that it was a much-needed therapeutic activity and positive feedback was received from communities.

We plan to roll the project out in Tingha, Guyra, Walcha and Uralla in the future, in partnership with other specialist homelessness services.

SecondBite

Pathfinders has partnered with SecondBite to deliver surplus food items in Inverell and Glen Innes. IGHSS staff pick up food items from Coles and deliver them to vulnerable local families a few times each week.

The SecondBite program receives edible surplus food from growers, manufacturers and retailers. These food items may have damaged packaging or are nearing their expiry dates, or producers simply have excess amounts of products that cannot be sold to the public.

Share the Dignity

Share the Dignity is an Australian charity that works to make a real difference in the lives of women experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence, or doing it tough. The charity distributes menstrual products to women, girls, and anyone who menstruates who needs support.

Pathfinders works with Share the Dignity to distribute handbags with hygiene products to community members in need.