Frequently Asked Questions

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place is a welcoming, women-only, child-safe and trauma-informed wellbeing centre operated by Hutt St Centre. It is designed to support women who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless by providing a safe place to seek help before circumstances reach crisis point. 

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place is due to open in 2027.

Located close to Hutt St Centre’s existing site, Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will draw on established staff expertise, infrastructure, referral networks and operational resources while providing a separate, private environment designed specifically for women and their children.

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will bring a range of supports together in one location, including practical homelessness crisis support, health and wellbeing services, housing support and connections to specialist services. The focus is on helping women achieve homefulness through improving their wellbeing, access stable housing and build greater independence. 

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will provide and connect women with: 

• meals, showers, laundry and essential material assistance; 
• housing assistance and pathways to crisis and longer-term accommodation; 
• case management and coordinated support; 
• healthcare, mental health and wellbeing services; 
• domestic and family violence support and safety planning; 
• legal, financial, employment and education assistance; 
• secure storage and lockers; and 
• child-friendly family spaces, community connection and women-focused programs. 

No. Rosalie Rendu Safe Place is not a refuge, overnight shelter or accommodation service. It will operate as a daytime support centre where women can access assistance, advice and connections to the services they need. 

Opening hours are yet to be confirmed and will be guided by demand and operating model. 

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will operate as a daytime support service and will not provide overnight accommodation or emergency shelter.

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place is being designed for women who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, as well as women at risk of homelessness. Support will also be available for women with children. 

The number of staff, volunteers and visiting service providers will vary depending on the day and the services being delivered. 

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will be carefully managed and is designed to provide a safe, supportive environment. It is not intended to accommodate large gatherings. 

Staff will always assess a person’s immediate safety and support needs. 

If support can be provided safely, it will be provided at Rosalie Rendu Safe Place. If not, staff will help connect the person with a more appropriate service and support them to access the help they need. 

Unsafe, threatening or aggressive behaviour will not be permitted.

Yes. Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will provide an additional, specialist option for women and will not remove access to Hutt St Centre’s existing Wellbeing Centre. Staff will help each woman access the setting and services that best meet their needs. 

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place is being created because many women need a dedicated, women-only and child-safe space to seek support. Currently, 3,936 women are experiencing homelessness across South Australia.  Women seeking support Hutt St Centre has increased by 77 per cent since 2021 and 528 women visited the Wellbeing Centre in 2025. 

Women experiencing homelessness, domestic and family violence, or trauma can find mixed-gender services challenging and may delay seeking help until their situation becomes more severe. 

The new centre will complement, not replace, Hutt St Centre’s existing services. It will provide a safe, welcoming place for women and their children to access support early and connect with housing, healthcare, healthcare and other services.

The number of women accessing Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will vary depending on demand and the services being delivered. Rosalie Rendu Safe Place is designed as a smaller, specialist service focused on providing safe, high-quality support rather than large-scale service delivery. 

Yes. Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will have policies, procedures and safety measures in place to support the wellbeing of clients, staff, volunteers and visitors. Security support will be available when required. 

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will provide a safe, women-only environment and access to specialist support, safety planning, housing pathways and referrals to domestic and family violence services where needed. 

No. Rosalie Rendu Safe Place is designed to support women who are already experiencing or at risk of homelessness and help them access housing, healthcare and other support as early as possible. The aim is to improve outcomes for women and reduce the impact of homelessness through early intervention and coordinated support. 

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will work closely with Hutt St Centre‘s existing Wellbeing Centre and other specialist service providers. By strengthening referral pathways and coordinated support, Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will complement existing services and help women access the right support at the right time. 

There has been a 77 per cent rise of women seeking support at Hutt St Centre. Many women experiencing homelessness face barriers to seeking help and often need support before their situation escalates. Rosalie Rendu Safe Place will provide a safe, compassionate and practical pathway to support, helping women move towards safety, stability and long-term housing outcomes. 

The Safe Place is named after Rosalie Rendu, a Daughter of Charity who dedicated her life to supporting people experiencing poverty, illness and social exclusion. Known for her compassion and practical approach, she helped establish services that supported people where they were and responded to their immediate needs with dignity and respect. 

Her legacy is closely connected to Hutt St Centre. More than 71 years ago, the Daughters of Charity founded Hutt St Centre with the same commitment to providing practical support and standing alongside people experiencing disadvantage. 

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place continues this tradition by providing women and their children with a safe, welcoming place to access support, strengthen their wellbeing and connect with pathways to housing and stability. 

Yes. Children can attend Rosalie Rendu Safe Place with their parent or responsible adult and must always remain in that person’s care. 

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place is not available for children or young people attending on their own. If someone under 18 arrives without a parent or responsible adult, staff will help connect them with the appropriate specialist support service. 

Questions or concerns about Rosalie Rendu Safe Place, its premises or its operations can be emailed to info@huttstcentre.org.au at any time.  

The inbox is monitored during business hours. Concerns will be recorded, assessed and referred to the appropriate Executive Manager. Hutt St Centre will generally provide an initial response within seven to ten business days, with urgent operational or safety matters prioritised. 

People sleeping rough in the Adelaide CBD, North Adelaide or surrounding parklands can be reported through Street Connect.  

Concerns about public spaces, waste, abandoned items, footpaths or local amenity can be lodged through the City of Adelaide’s Report an Issue service.  

People seeking homelessness assistance can contact Homeless Connect SA on 1800 003 308 at any time 24/7. 

Suspected criminal or threatening behaviour should be reported to the Police on 131 444. For immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 000.

Hutt St Centre will record, assess and refer concerns connected with Rosalie Rendu Safe Place to the appropriate Executive Manager. Incidents in the immediate area that appear connected with Rosalie Rendu Safe Place or its operations will also be assessed and, where appropriate, CCTV reviewed. Matters may be referred to Police, the City of Adelaide or another responsible authority.  

Where a matter is outside Hutt St Centre’s responsibility, the person raising it will be directed to the appropriate organisation where possible.

Rosalie Rendu Safe Place is being made possible through the support of government, philanthropic organisations, donors and community partners committed to improving outcomes for women experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 

Yes. Community members can support Rosalie Rendu Safe Place through donations, fundraising, advocacy and other opportunities to assist women experiencing homelessness. Information about how to get involved will be available through Hutt St Centre.