Centacare celebrates official launch of their Dignity Van in Geraldton, servicing the city’s rough sleepers

Centacare’s dignity van in Geraldton has already been used dozens of times by the city’s rough sleepers, but it was officially launched at an event on Friday showcasing the initiative to donors and stakeholders. The van is a completely off-grid facility with showering and clothes washing facilities, and is the latest addition to Centacare’s Housing First approach. The approach is an evidence-based strategy prioritising giving secure and stable housing to individuals experiencing homelessness, as well as wraparound support services once they are placed in a home. Centacare CEO David Power said: “Hygiene is a basic human right, and indeed a core aspect of human dignity. We are proud to be able to offer this to those sleeping rough within our community, with the van being operated by the Housing First team.” The van is fully self-sufficient, with an onboard generator, fresh and grey water storage tanks, two washing machines, two dryers and is staffed by trained team members and volunteers. The van acts as an interim service while housing is still being sourced. It has serviced 32 loads of washing and has provided 21 people the opportunity to have a hot shower since the service started in April. The launch on Friday gave stakeholders an interactive tour of the mobile hub providing essential services to some of the community’s most vulnerable members.