Hope Street officially launches the First Response Youth Service Whittlesea centre, December 2024!

Hope Street was excited to welcome Victorian Government local representative Lily D’Ambrosio MP alongside Housing Minister Harriet Shing MP to publicly open the new site, the First Response Youth Service centre in the City of Whittlesea.

The Victorian Government is the major partner providing a one-off capital grant to build the First Response Youth Service centre through the Big Build Youth Housing Grant in 2021 as well as recurrent operational funding.     

The City of Whittlesea was first to partner with Hope Street with a commitment to providing land for the new centre.  The nation leading youth homelessness service centre will be officially recognised by Youth Mayors Zachery Melvaine and Kaynat Virk as a significant step for young people and young families experiencing homelessness.  

A special thank you to Craig Murphy-Wandin who commenced the event conducting the cultural ceremony of Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony.    Craig Murphy-Wandin is a proud Wurundjeri and Woiwurrung man who was born, lives and works in Healesville, on the ancestral lands of his grandfather. Using both traditional Indigenous and contemporary techniques, his practice centres on woodwork and is informed by his experience working as a carpenter and horticulturist.   

The architecturally designed centre, includes 12 emergency response beds for young people, including two units dedicated to young families, one specifically for First Nations young families.  

Hope Street is delighted with the long-term partnership with Mirvac who have made a significant contribution to the centre by landscaping the carefully designed outdoor garden and gathering spaces. Mirvac’s landscaping expertise adds to the soothing, calm and comfortable environment which will enhance young people’s ability to move forward with their situation as they strive for a better future.  

Hope Street is pleased to have created a new relationship with the Property Industry Foundation and is grateful for the donation to fund the construction of the bedrooms.  We look forward to strengthening this relationship into the future. 

This project also features donations from Marian and EH Flack Trust, Comfort sleep, Blind Concepts, Sleep Smart, Sheridan, Morc interiors, Harvey Norman Commercial, and John Holland.   

  Hope Street’s tested and successful program model will provide emergency accommodation and essential services to 100 vulnerable young people including young people with children impacted by homelessness, annually.