Stability First: Building Safe Foundations
At Lou’s Place, we know that a safe and stable home is the foundation for dignity, safety and recovery. As a pilot initiative, Stability First is Lou’s Place’s first government-funded programme, delivered through the NSW Homelessness Innovation Fund.
Stability First builds on more than 25 years of grassroots experience, while pioneering a flexible model of support for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The programme maintains our low-barrier and inclusive approach. This ensures that women with complex needs, who are often excluded from other services, can access housing support in a trusted and familiar space.
Housing remains at the heart of our work. Homelessness is never just about housing. Many women who engage with Stability First are also experiencing violence, financial hardship and isolation.
Throughout June and July, Stability First supported 115 women in immediate crisis.
This included:
59 instances of homelessness support
48 instances of housing application support
89 instances of tenancy sustainability support – intensive support for women at risk of abandoning their homes due to safety concerns or poor conditions
The impact of Stability First is best understood through our women’s stories:
One woman arrived after leaving a violent relationship, with a young baby and nowhere safe to stay.
Others came after months of rough sleeping, or while managing grief, parole conditions, or family separation.
Through persistent advocacy, referrals and practical support, women were moved into crisis and transitional housing. They secured and furnished their long-term homes with the essentials needed to start again. They were supported throughout hospital admissions, linked to mental health and financial services, and guided to take steps toward family reconnection. For many, such intervention meant the difference between remaining in cycles of homelessness and beginning a path toward stability and safety.
Stability First is more than a new service; it represents a system-wide investment in more inclusive homelessness responses. As part of the Homelessness Innovation Fund, the programme will not only continue to support women at Lou’s Place but also contribute to broader reform. Stability First aims to help shape more accessible, flexible approaches to housing support across NSW.