CHATR IMPACT STORY

MICHAEL – SA PARTICIPANT

When 59-year-old Michael first engaged with Chatr, he was in crisis. After years of homelessness–moving between couch surfing and sleeping rough–he was living with significant physical health concerns and had reached complete exhaustion. Overwhelmed by homelessness, financial hardship, declining health and the impossible task of navigating multiple government and community systems, he had begun to lose hope. Employment wasn't just out of reach–it wasn't something Michael believed was possible.

Alongside intensive housing advocacy, Chatr provided trauma-informed counselling focused on rebuilding hope, reducing overwhelm and helping Michael regain a sense of control over his life. Therapeutic sessions created a safe space to process years of hardship, restore confidence and break overwhelming challenges into manageable, achievable steps. Rather than focusing on everything that had gone wrong, counselling helped Michael recognise what was still possible and begin believing his future could look different.

Support extended well beyond the counselling room. Michael needed someone to help him navigate systems that had become impossible to manage while in crisis. Chatr worked alongside him, addressing his immediate needs while creating a pathway towards long-term independence.

Housing advocacy became one of the most intensive aspects of the intervention. With more than 18,000 South Australians accessing homelessness services each year, securing housing requires far more than submitting an application. Rather than simply referring Michael to Housing SA, Chatr worked across Housing SA, community housing providers and external agencies to ensure his circumstances were fully understood and every available opportunity was explored. This required significant time, persistence and coordination across multiple services and systems to remove barriers, champion Michael's needs and create a pathway towards long-term stability and independence.

Every appointment also became an opportunity to build Michael's confidence. Together, Chatr helped Michael develop the skills to communicate with services, ask questions, understand complex processes and increasingly advocate for himself. Counselling reinforced these gains, while practical advocacy provided opportunities to apply his growing confidence in real-world situations.

“You’ve saved my life, you know. I was ready to give up, but then I met you. No one’s ever helped me as much as you have. I’m going to make you proud.”

“I get the keys to my unit tomorrow at 2pm. All our hard work paid off–Housing SA came through. I want to get my forklift licence. I want to get back into work. I’m excited. I’m ready to go. You helped me see that there’s still life in this old fella…there’s more I can do.”

MICHAEL – SA ‍ ‍