A VOLUNTEER-run organisation that helps those facing disadvantage and homelessness says Bathurst needs a hostel to accommodate the growing number of people who are seeking assistance.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Bathurst Uniting Support Services (BUSS), which has undergone several name changes since it was formed in 2018, has spent the last five years providing various levels of support.
It started out offering emergency overnight accommodation for homeless men and has since become a volunteer-run organisation with a range of programs that help not only the homeless, but those in difficult circumstances.
Management committee secretary Judy Tyson has been volunteering with the organisation for around four years and has seen the change in demand for assistance.
While BUSS does what it can to help, the problem is bigger than it, and other support agencies, can manage.
That's why she says a hostel is what Bathurst needs.
"[BUSS] can't provide accommodation, sadly, but that's what is badly needed in Bathurst," she said.
"We need some sort of hostel for temporary or semi-permanent accommodation."
Ms Tyson said other organisations in the community, such as Wattle Tree House, are trying to find accommodation for people, but the demand is outweighing the available housing at this time.
A hostel is not only needed, but "crucial" to keep people from living on the street or in their cars.
"We just haven't got anywhere that we can offer people safe sleeping accommodation on a temporary basis," Ms Tyson said.
"Particularly at this time of the year we need something, but we've got very little available."
Now that the weather is cooling down, Ms Tyson said BUSS is seeing an increase in the number of people reaching out for help, and it's not just those who are homeless.
"We get our regulars coming in, but there has been an increase in numbers and it's not just necessarily the homeless," she said.
"It's people who are finding it difficult to put food on the table, because there are free meals for anyone."
BUSS runs its Shelter Café program at lunchtime on each Saturday and Sunday, where homemade meals are available to reheat at no cost, with no questions asked.
There is also a social aspect to the café, with people able to sit at a table and enjoy their meal while having a chat to the volunteers or other people utilising the service.
"Most people are beginning to stay longer and longer, which we like to see. It shows they are appreciating it and valuing it," Ms Tyson said.
The increasing demand for the café is thought to be linked to the surge in cost of living.
While BUSS is unable to provide accommodation, it will continue to support people facing homelessness in different ways.
This includes by providing warm clothes and sleeping bags, which can be picked up when the cafe is open, and opening up its bathroom behind the Bathurst Uniting Church.
The bathroom was renovated several years ago and gives people an opportunity to have a warm shower on a regular basis.
BUSS also has a free cooking program, Frypan Warriors, which teaches people how to cook nutritious and affordable meals in an electric frying pan.
Ms Tyson said that if there was more support available in Bathurst beyond what BUSS offers, such as a hostel, more people would be able to turn their lives around.
"We've seen people who have come through who have managed to get jobs, managed to change, if they know what's available," she said.
"It's amazing what's out there, but it's really hard to access if you don't have a phone, if you don't have a permanent address, and those sort of things are a hindrance to becoming part of society again."
Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.
Rachel Chamberlain
I have been a journalist at the Western Advocate since 2014.
I have been a journalist at the Western Advocate since 2014.
