Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips MP has called on the NSW Government to step in to save Safe Shelter Shoalhaven.

Safe Shelter Shoalhaven has been operating locally for five years, providing a safe place to sleep for over 850 families and individuals, but this week it has been forced to shut its doors due to a lack of support from the NSW Government.

With the South Coast facing an escalating housing crisis, local people cannot afford to lose a critical service such as this.

“The NSW Government has allowed our housing crisis to spiral out of control for far too long. It is well past time the state government took this issue seriously and stepped in to fund vital programmes such as this now,” Fiona Phillips said.

The Gilmore MP said every day her office receives calls for help from local people in desperate need. Local services are already at breaking point, and the loss of this service will be devastating for the local community.

“Allowing this shelter to close when we are at our highest ever need is absolutely shameful,” she said.

“Peter Dover and the Salt Care team do absolutely amazing work in our community, but they have filled a gap created by government for far too long.”

“We cannot afford to lose Safe Shelter Shoalhaven and I have written to the NSW Minister asking for urgent support to keep Safe Shelter Shoalhaven open,” Mrs Phillips said.