An inner-city boarding house that helps people sleeping rough to transition from homelessness into stable housing is re-opening in the Adelaide CBD will take couples and their pets for the first time.
The unique accommodation will re-open this month following $62,000 worth of maintenance and upgrade work by the Liberal Government.
The boarding house in Waymouth Street will be managed by Adelaide Zero Project (AZP) partner, Carrington Cottages, in collaboration with other homeless services.
It will help people on the AZP By-Name List, including couples and people with pets, who otherwise might be sleeping rough in the city.
Minister for Human Services Michelle Lensink said the new accommodation would provide people with transitional accommodation while they are supported into stable housing.
"Like all of us, people who are homeless who have pets or are a couple take comfort and support from those relationships and from their companion animals," said Minister Lensink.
"Couples and pets are typically not accepted into boarding houses, and this presents a barrier to people who want to move into housing, but don't want to leave their partner or pet.
"For many, this has been a barrier to access safe, transitional accommodation and this new, initiative is a first for South Australia.
"The Waymouth Street boarding house will accommodate up to 18 people with diverse needs who have been rough sleeping and who need specialist services to help them to stabilise their lives."
Adelaide Zero Project Co-Chair Louise Miller-Frost, said: "Safe accommodation such as this boarding house will play a critical part in reducing these numbers to reach Functional Zero street homelessness."
AZP partner Carrington Cottages will manage the boarding house on behalf of Adelaide Zero Project.
