Violent and agitated ice addicts have put increased pressure on an ACT welfare service as more Canberrans seek help for substance abuse and financial burdens.
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The Salvation Army's Major Gary Masters said demand for homelessness, emergency welfare, addiction recovery, and financial counselling support at the Canberra Recovery Services Centre had surged significantly.
"A few years ago if someone rang needing accommodation we'd be able to find them a bed quite quickly.
"Now there aren't enough and we're having to refer them to Sydney or Newcastle.
"They're being turned away and or told to wait and you don't want to tell people to wait, but that's the reality of the situation."
Major Masters said the service provided alcohol and drug rehabilitation support for 50 people, and fielded about 20 enquiries from Canberrans who needed help, every day.
While heroin and alcohol were the most common addictions, he said workers were increasingly faced with erratic behaviour from users who had taken crystal methamphetamine, or ice.
"Ice is such a bad drug because it only takes the one hit to get addicted," he said.
"From that first hit people's personality starts changing and they become dependent and they can get very angry and aggressive.
"If they're agitated and violent our workers are having to manage that. It's a very different drug to deal with."
His concerns come after the territory's peak drug body, Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT, this week called on the government to invest $1.6 million in Canberra's drug treatment services in next month's budget to help manage the ice scourge.
Major Masters said volunteers had also witnessed a rising number of Canberrans under financial strain, who requested food vouchers or food packages and struggled to pay for utilities.
The capital's high-cost housing also meant more people were in need of cheaper accommodation and rental assistance, he said.
"That's due to economic factors and I think Canberra is a very expensive place to live, especially during winter when we have high utility costs."
Financial woes meant many of those families could only afford houses that were not well insulated and secondhand appliances, which often weren't efficient.
"A lot of people are having to decide, will I heat the house or feed the children?
"Will I repair the car or will I feed the children?
"Will I register my car or will I feed the children?"
Major Masters said addiction and financial hardship took its toll on families and often led to marriage breakdowns and family violence.
He said while Canberra had the ability "to present a really good face", a lot of people in the capital were doing it very tough.
"You drive down Commonwealth Avenue and see Parliament House and the lake and all the beautiful autumn colours and people think, what a beautiful city.
"But it's a facade, it just hides what's going on and our workers see that, they see Canberra's underbelly."
Major Masters used Friday's launch of this year's Red Shield Appeal to urge Canberrans to dig deep when Salvation Army volunteers knocked on their door on May 30 and 31.
"We know conditions are very tough for many people in the ACT and the more funds that are raised, the more we can help."
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the appeal and the organisation has set a goal to raise $74 million nationally and $180,000 in the ACT.
