Emergency Accommodation is often the reason people seeking asylum first make contact with the Romero Centre. People are homeless for a variety of reasons including loss of income or possibly mental health issues that force them to leave accommodation; fleeing an abusive relationship or being forced to leave because of tenancy issues. In almost every ...
Romero Centre
Emergency Accommodation

GOAL
$14,400
Field of Interest
- Housing and homelessness
- Individual/family services and support
Target Population
- Asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and people from CALD backgrounds

The Romero Centre is a place of welcome and support for people seeking asylum. Our people come from over 40 different cultural backgrounds. The principal cultural groups we support are from PNG, Afghanistan, Iran, Nigeria, Syria, Somalia, China and Sri Lanka. We provide basic support in the form of a pantry service supplying food and toiletries, emergency and medium-term housing, and vouchers for groceries and public transport.
We also conduct English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, provide migration and legal advice, conduct an employment program and offer personalised support to people fleeing oppression and seeking a new life for themselves and dependents in Australia. Importantly, we are regarded as a trusted ally by people who often have good reasons to be suspicious of others. Everyone is welcome regardless of their cultural background, religion, politics, gender and sexuality.
In a year, we will assist approximately 450 people and their dependents. Our goal is to ensure people feel genuinely welcome and are able to build a new life and reach their goals with whatever assistance we can provide directly and/or through our partners.
Project Summary
Emergency Accommodation is often the reason people seeking asylum first make contact with the Romero Centre. People are homeless for a variety of reasons including loss of income or possibly mental health issues that force them to leave accommodation; fleeing an abusive relationship or being forced to leave because of tenancy issues. In almost every case they don’t have the financial means to pay for accommodation. Most people seeking asylum have no source of income when they first arrive in Australia.
Our emergency accommodation program enables us to provide short-term accommodation in situations where no other assisted accommodation is available. Typically, accommodation will be for 1-2 weeks while a more sustainable short-to medium-term accommodation option become available. We work with low cost providers of hostel or motel accommodation and ensure people are suitable for placement in shared living arrangements.
The typical cost of 1 week of accommodation is $400. We are seeking sufficient funding to pay for 36 weeks of accommodation which would enable us to help between 20 and 35 people, including those with small children.
Project Outcomes
It is expected that we would be able to provide emergency accommodation for between 20 and 35 people seeking asylum. In most cases, these people we find accommodation for will be single as almost all options we access involve shared accommodation not suitable for families. We work with a number of specialist domestic violence services which have suitable accommodation for mothers with children, although demand for these services currently outstrips supply.
Providing emergency accommodation is one aspect of emergency relief. We also provide pantry items and food vouchers. Having food and shelter while longer-term solutions are found means people are out of immediate danger temporarily reducing additional stress associated with hunger and lack of housing. As said previously, this is the beginning of our relationship with people seeking asylum and from this point on we are working with them to build their new lives in Australia.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $30,100
FUNDING
Funding source | Amount |
---|---|
Donations (confirmed) | $15,700 |
Funding gap (unconfirmed) | $14,400 |
EXPENSES
Expense item | Amount |
---|---|
Accommodation for 60 weeks | $24,000 |
Coordinator time | $6,100 |
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