Andrew Giles MP visits Hope Street  

Hope Street Youth and Family Services was delighted to show local Federal MP Andrew Giles, the Member for Scullin, the build site for the First Response Youth Services Refuge in the City of Whittlesea this April. Andrew has been a strong supporter of Hope Street’s Youth Services, and he was able to see the significant progress that has been made. This refuge will have a positive impact on young people and young families in the area. On any night, around 28,200 young people across Australia are experiencing homelessness. On census night 2021, 854 people were recorded as being homelessness, only in the City of Whittlesea. (ABS, 2021). This First Response Youth Refuge design allows young people and young families to have access to features and amenities that optimise trauma informed wellbeing and approach to practice in the local community.  

Katie Hooper from the Hope Street team was able to show Andrew Giles that the new Hope Street centre in the City of Whittlesea will feature 12 beds, plus a staff sleep over room, ensuites and 2 family units which will support over a hundred young people including children each year to have a safe place when they are experiencing homelessness. In this growth corridor, young people and young families that experience homelessness will receive a nation leading response with wrap around services to support their well-being during their time of crisis. Andrew Giles was interested to discuss this therapeutically designed safe place to be part of the local community that can deliver quality services following a young person’s experience of insecure housing and homelessness.  

This specially designed youth refuge centre will feature: large windows to optimise natural light; a dedicated bathroom; ensuites; art and craft space; open plan living; visibility to landscaped garden from all windows; visibility of people and spaces; warm and soothing materials; water features; gardens that grow nutritious home-grown vegetables and herbs. 

Community is at the heart of Hope Street’s response to the crisis of child and youth homelessness in Victoria.  Notably, 22% of Hope Street clients were born overseas and this program and refuge when up and running will offer wrap around support that reflects the needs of the local community and is tailored to the individual needs of young people and young families. 

The dedicated case management team will support young people to set goals in 5 core areas to increase living skills, health and wellbeing, education and employment; as well as cultural and community connection, Hope Street is committed to delivering this leading project in partnership with the Victorian Government and City of Whittlesea and with the tremendous support of the local community.  

“Following on the from success of the outcomes achieved by the Melton First Response Youth Refuge, it has been great to have the support of the local Federal Member Andrew Giles on this important project to respond to crisis of youth homelessness.  This First Response Youth Service Refuge is set to be a strong part of the local community that will provide necessary outreach and refuge to many young people. Given this national emergency is impacting the most vulnerable citizens, governments with wider community support need to be bold and significantly invest and prioritise this action. Hope Street achieves outcomes for young people and young families and this model of service delivery should be guaranteed by protecting it in Federal legislation to address child and youth homelessness specifically." - Donna Bennett, Chief Executive Officer at Hope Street.