Emergency Assistance Programs are provided for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, including men, women and children experiencing domestic violence. For people experiencing an immediate crisis, assistance is provided to deal with the situation in a way that maintains dignity and encourages self reliance.

In a remote community such as Mallacoota, which is isolated from social services, MDHSS Emergency Assistance Programs play a critical role in the wellbeing of clients who access the service. In total, there are five programs providing emergency assistance.