How Peplow House is helping men find stability and rebuild their lives

As soon as one man moves out, another moves in.

Since 1976, the eight-bed house in Webster Street has provided a safe, stable place to live for thousands of men with nowhere else to go.

With Ballarat, and the rest of the country, in the grips of a housing crisis, demand for support from homeless men aged 18 to 65 has never been higher.

CatholicCare receives government funding to run Peplow House, but that funding only covers staffing during business hours - not after hours and weekends when the vulnerable men also need support.

The welfare organisation itself covers the cost of night and weekend staff - which costs around $100,000 a year.

"We are not funded for nights or weekend so we are always in deficit about $100,000," said CatholicCare homelessness and housing support manager James Treloar.

"We are not funded as a 24/7 model but we would never close the door at 5pm. That's why we are grateful when people donate."

According to one of its current residents Chris, Peplow House should be renamed Peplow Heaven.

Refugee Chris has been living at the men's crisis accommodation for the past two weeks after being discharged from hospital with nowhere to go.

He is in limbo, with no visa or other support, suffers from depression, alcoholism and other issues, but at Peplow House he has found a sense of family and a base from which to rebuild his life.

"The main thing there's no shouting or anything like that here, there's no violence, no yelling ... I have experience in other houses where there's yelling and kicking but this is quiet, peaceful, calming and good food," he said.

"The staff here are our brothers."

Chris said his case manager took him to AA meetings and staff sat with him into the early hours if he was depressed and needed to talk.

Residents each have their own bedroom, complete with television, cook and share meals together in a communal kitchen, and share recreational spaces - and are looking forward to celebrating Christmas together.

During their stay they receive support for all their needs - their physical and mental health, reunification with family, employment and social connection.

"A lot of people come through not quite ready to work yet - some need recovery time or to address their physical or mental health needs first but they are linked with a case manager and work through whatever it is they want to achieve and whatever their unmet needs are," Mr Treloar said.

Usually residents stay for up to six weeks, but CatholicCare will not "exit" a person into homelessness, letting them stay longer until suitable accommodation is secured for them.

"Last year we did have some really long stays as we don't believe in ejecting people to homelessness," Mr Treloar said.

Many of the men who have previously stayed at Peplow House often return to visit, to have a coffee and chat with staff, or find some support in a place they know is safe.

Thousands of people in Ballarat are on public housing waitlists.

People sleeping rough in Ballarat caused issues within the community when residents faced threats and feared for their safety at White Flat Oval, which had tents set up and people living in the stand.

Ken is 59 and has been living at Peplow House for almost a week. Until nine years ago he was a motor mechanic but after his wife died he "went downhill", drinking up to two five-litre casks of wine a day and attempting suicide. He has also been bashed and robbed multiple times and endured other traumas that left him desperate.

"When I first came here I had anxiety so bad that this place started to shake. I couldn't be in a room with more than four people ... it was a bit too daunting for me. Now I'm on medication and it's a bit better."

He too is seeing the family-like bonds grow with other residents and staff.

"We become a family again - you need that family bond and this is what gets offered to you," Ken said.

This week the residents will enjoy some festive baking in the lead-up to Christmas, and on Christmas Day will share a roast dinner and gifts.

"We've got good relationships in the community with people donating things. We've got a roast dinner coming on Christmas Day, we've got a cafe around the corner who drop off food at the end of the day and really good connections in the community," Mr Treloar said.

"We need it, we are underfunded."