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Drop-in service for people experiencing homelessness
People experiencing or at-risk of homelessness will have access to a unique medical practice specialising in their health needs, in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. In addition to improving health, the practice will work towards ending homelessness, by supporting patients to navigate systems which are often inter-related: health and housing. The Haymarket Foundation General Practice will be run as a…
Our specialist GP service begins
A new specialist GP service for people experiencing homelessness has begun work in Sydney. Initially, the female GP worked part-time via Telehealth. But since early November, the doctor began seeing patients face-to-face out of the medical centre at the Haymarket Foundation’s crisis accommodation facility in Chippendale (see image). In the first weeks of the service: 30% of patients have had…
New horizons for a man with no connection to the past
When Joe* left prison in 2019, after more than three decades inside, he re-entered a world he scarcely knew. The connections with the large family that he grew up with in south-western Sydney had gone, he was semi-literate and had never used computers or mobile devices. Amongst his other challenges: he didn’t have ID, nor access to Centrelink and he…
Hearing the voices of First Nations people
The Haymarket Foundation has a disproportionately high number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders accessing its services. Roughly one in four clients identifies as being a First Nations person. Now the renowned Bourke Street residential rehabilitation program has a fresh focus on cultural inclusion and safety for this group. Cultural inclusion: Two Aboriginal consultants have carried out an assessment of…
Our doors and hearts are open
We’re not going to lie: this has been a really tough time for the Haymarket Foundation. But our frontline workers are thrilled to be back on-site around the clock at our crisis accommodation facility in Chippendale. (From Monday 13 September). We were closed for just over a week for deep cleaning, after one of our residents tested positive for COVID-19…
Making room for non-Australian residents
Twenty people who have no income and are not entitled to social security have been given a lifeline for the duration of Sydney’s second lockdown. The Haymarket Foundation is coordinating emergency accommodation, food and support services to help those who have become homeless and are unable to access other services – including international students, asylum seekers and refugees. These extra…
Temporary changes to our services
The Haymarket Foundation has temporarily suspended face-to-face service delivery at its crisis accommodation facility in Chippendale after a resident tested positive to COVID-19. The resident was infectious on-site between Friday the 27th and early morning Monday the 30th of August. The Foundation has been working closely with the Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit and the Department of Communities…
Making health care accessible and inclusive
Homelessness and poor health have been twin concerns for Tyler* for over two decades. Now in her mid-40s, she is in chronic pain after a botched epidural and is on valium to manage that condition – and methodone for her drug issues. In many ways, her health concerns are typical of people who have experienced homelessness and stay with the…
Making sure everyone counts in the Census
There has been a concerted push to record the true number of people experiencing homelessness in the Census. Staff at the Haymarket Foundation helped residents and other clients to record their data – and to put “none-crisis” when they were asked about their suburb or locality, to adequately represent their status as homeless. It is believed as many as 20…
Drop-in GP service for people experiencing homelessness
People experiencing or at-risk of homelessness will have access to a unique medical practice specialising in their health needs, in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. In addition to improving health, the practice will work towards ending homelessness, by supporting patients to navigate systems which are often inter-related: health and housing. The Haymarket Foundation General Practice will be run as a…