Services that have housed hundreds of the Shoalhaven's homeless are again facing an uncertain future, with question marks hanging over promised State Government funding.
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In August the State Government delivered on a pre-election promise to provide emergency funding to Safe Shelter in Nowra and Safe Waters in Ulladulla, ensuring they could keep their doors open to support the region's growing number of homeless people.
And with the emergency assistance came a promise of ongoing funding.
But CEO of Salt Care that runs the Safe Shelter property in Nowra, Peter Dover, said the funding was not yet guaranteed.
"We were hoping that would have been in the October-November budget last year, the politicians have said that was deferred to the June budget, we just want to make sure the money to keep this shelter, and Safe Waters Ulladulla, is in that budget," he said.
Despite the promises of the past, "No-one can confirm if those funds are in that budget," Mr Dover said.
He said he and Sarah Date from Safe Waters met with NSW Housing and Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson just two weeks ago to discuss the promised funding, but no guarantees were given.
Instead they will have to wait until in the State Budget is handed down in mid-June - two weeks before their existing funding runs out.
Mr Dover said the uncertainty hit hard for clients and staff, who did not know if they would have jobs beyond July 1.
"We need to put pressure on the treasurer to make sure those funds are there, because we're in the middle of a housing crisis and we don't want to add people to it," he said.
"We want to make sure there's certainty among our professional staff which we've been building over the past five years, - we don't want to lose them - and there's certainly for the homeless people."
Over the past year alone Safe Shelter had provided more than 700 bed-nights to more than 700 people who would otherwise be sleeping rough.
Hundreds of those were fleeing domestic violence, according to Mr Dover.
He said about 80 per cent of the people Salt Care helped were escaping violence at home.
"Some young boys, some young women, some men and women - most people are fleeing situations in their home that they cannot stay in, and that's gender-based violence," he said.
"If we can't be a safe place for people fleeing all different circumstances, who can be?"
Safe Shelter opened its doors in the middle of a cold and wet winter several years ago amid concerns about the number of people exposed to the elements while sleeping rough at locations around Nowra.
"We're just about to hit winter again, and we just want to make sure these doors are open," Mr Dover said.
"We want to make sure this place stays open and keeps people safe."
State Member for Kiama and former minister for homelessness, Gareth Ward, has called for the State Government to honour its funding commitments to Safe Shelter and Safe Waters.
"If you make a promise you've got to make sure that it's honoured," he said.
"It doesn't matter whether it is the red team or the blue team, we have a crisis, they know it, they've made a commitment and they should honour it," Mr Ward said.
