CHATR IMPACT STORY

KRISSY – QLD PARTICIPANT

When Krissy connected with Chatr, she was a single mother experiencing homelessness while caring for her young child. Alongside a history of trauma and anxiety, she was carrying the enormous pressure of trying to find somewhere safe and stable for her family to live. At its hardest, Krissy and her child were rough sleeping.

Chatr stepped into action with a comprehensive and intensive housing plan. Rather than simply providing referrals, Chatr worked alongside Krissy to pursue multiple housing pathways, advocate across housing and homelessness services, prepare supporting documentation, follow up directly with services and continue exploring alternatives when barriers arose. A Rough Sleeping Safety Plan was also developed to support Krissy and her child's immediate safety while the work towards stable housing continued.

Alongside this practical advocacy, Chatr provided trauma-informed counselling to support Krissy through the emotional toll of homelessness. The work focused on maintaining hope, strengthening coping strategies and building the confidence and self-advocacy she needed to keep moving forward.

And she did keep moving forward.

Through persistent advocacy, coordinated support and Krissy's determination, she and her child finally secured a place to call home. After living with the uncertainty of not knowing where they would sleep, having a safe and stable home marked an enormous turning point for their family.

By addressing the barriers that had been keeping Krissy in survival mode, the pathway to employment began to open. Stable housing gave her the safety and consistency to shift her focus beyond immediate crisis, while counselling strengthened her confidence, coping strategies and self-advocacy. With those foundations in place, Krissy gained employment as a Support Worker–an important step towards greater financial independence, routine and long-term stability for her family.

Krissy's journey shows why addressing barriers matters. Housing instability, trauma and anxiety were not separate from her employment journey-they were standing in the way of it. Through intensive advocacy, practical support and trauma-informed counselling, Chatr helped address those barriers and create the stability Krissy needed to move forward.

“You and APM have been the most helpful and consistent support I’ve received from any service. I’m proud I never gave up.”

KRISSY – QLD