Two legacies from the Mercy tradition have provided housing solutions for women seeking to rebuild their lives in both Queensland and New South Wales, reports The Catholic Leader and the St Vincent de Paul Society.
In Beaudesert in the Brisbane Archdiocese, a donation from the Mercy Foundation to Centacare has resulted in a new refuge for older women experiencing homelessness, while in Sydney, a donation of a property by the Mercy Foundation to the St Vincent de Paul Society will provide housing for women and families looking to recover and rebuild after violence.
Sisters of Mercy Brisbane Congregation Leader Sr Peta Goldburg RSM at the opening of Mercy House in Beaudesert, Qld. PHOTO: Alan Edgecomb-Purple Moon Photography/Catholic Leader.
Mercy House in Beaudesert, launched recently by Centacare, will provide short-to-medium-term accommodation and support for women aged 50 and over, the fastest-growing demographic facing homelessness in Australia, The Catholic Leader reports.
“Most of these women have never experienced homelessness before,” Centacare executive director Debra Clark said.
“They might be staying with children, sleeping in their cars, or house-sitting between temporary arrangements.
“What they have in common is that one life event, the death of a partner, an illness, or a separation, has tipped the scales.
“And suddenly, there’s nowhere to go.”
The house was officially opened on March 25 and would offer short-to-medium-term accommodation for women aged 50 and over, a demographic that is now the fastest-growing group of people facing homelessness in Australia.
Mercy House is more than a roof over someone’s head.
Centacare teams will work closely with women to build rental history, find stable income, access legal and financial advice, and connect them to long-term housing pathways.
Stays can range from three days to three months, depending on each woman’s unique situation.
“This is housing with heart,” Ms Clark said.
“We’re not just offering safety and shelter, we’re walking alongside women as they rebuild, regain independence, and reimagine what’s next.”
The service has been made possible through the generosity and trust of the Sisters of Mercy, who have long served the people of Beaudesert with humility and compassion.
“This house carries their legacy,” Ms Clark said.
“It’s our privilege to carry that legacy forward and to honour it by continuing to serve women with dignity, respect and care.”
Beyond accommodation, Centacare hopes Mercy House will become the cornerstone of a broader housing support service for women in the Scenic Rim region.
The service aims to help women stay in their current homes when possible safe, offering practical help to navigate rental stress, breach notices, or landlord negotiations in an increasingly unaffordable housing market.
Meanwhile, the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW was generously gifted a block of eight units by the Sisters of Mercy in late 2024 to be used for continuing the Sisters’ legacy of supporting people who have experienced disadvantage, Vinnies reports.
The gift from the Mercy Foundation, established as the charitable arm of the Sisters of Mercy more than three decades ago, will act as a domestic and family violence refuge known as Mercy House, offering three and four-bedroom units located close to local services, shops and schools.
Peter Houweling, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW State Council President (centre), at the block of units donated by the Mercy Foundation in NSW. PHOTO: St Vincent de Paul Society website.
Mercy House will allow women and children to reside in transitional accommodation with individual apartment style homes for up to 18 months as they strive to regain stability in their lives in a safe, dignified and family-friendly environment.
Case management staff from Vinnies Services will provide wraparound support during this time to address the individual needs of women and children and work to help them secure longer-term independent housing.
Domestic and family violence remains the leading reason for assistance from Vinnies Services, accounting for close to a third of all requests over the last financial year. The addition of Mercy House will allow the Society to better respond to the needs of women and children who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness due to domestic and family violence.
The latest reporting from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that 1 in 5 adults and over 1 in 4 women had experienced family and domestic violence since the age of 15.
The Society outlined its position on Ending Domestic and Family Violence, along with recommended policy actions, in a Social Justice Statement released last year.
“Everyone should be able to live safely within their own homes and be treated with respect in their relationships. Working towards a society where people are protected from violence and abusive relationships means reducing the pressures that heighten the risk of domestic and family violence,” the statement said.
Peter Houweling, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW State Council President, spoke on the shared Mercy and Vincentian values and the impact the service will have in restoring dignity and hope to people accessing assistance from the service.
“What was once a place of Mercy outreach will now continue its mission under the Society ensuring that a legacy of compassion, hospitality, and justice continues to flourish,” he said.
“This home will serve as a place of refuge, support, and renewal for those who need it most.
“The Sisters of Mercy and the Society of St Vincent de Paul have always shared a common calling—to stand with the poor, to lift up the oppressed, and to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.”
As part of the transition of Mercy House, a generous donor provided funding for the new service to be fully furnished and the installation of additional security to create a safe and supportive environment for residents.
This article is drawn from an article published in The Catholic Leader and an article published on the website of the Society of St Vincent de Paul NSW.