Hope Street welcomes budget announcements for homelessness as part of the Home Time campaign.

Win for children and young people in budget announcement!

Hope Street Youth and Family Services welcomes the recent media release from Federal Minister for Homelessness and Housing Julie Collins on a major policy announcement for homelessness and housing. For further information, please see Government's media release, Home Time media release, AAP story or ABC story for the full rundown and reaction.

As part of the Home Time campaign, Hope Street welcomes $1 billion from the National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF) being allocated to young people with no home and women and their children escaping violence. This important announcement has the potential to support young people and young families fleeing domestic and family violence and seeking frontline services at Hope Street. This important funding is set to increase the supply of social housing, of which Melbourne’s north Hope Street is a strong advocate.

As a leading youth homelessness organisation, 22% of young people that use Hope Street services have experienced family and domestic violence in the last financial year. This has a significant impact on their sense of wellbeing and sense of safety. Young people experiencing homelessness in Australia is at crisis levels. As such, these much-needed resources to respond to youth homelessness in Victoria are vital for frontline services. Hope Street’s ability to respond to domestic and family violence with wrap around, case by case support is nation leading for youth homelessness. As such, further federal funding for the sector ensures that high quality support can be offered to young people and young families in crisis. Hope Street welcomes this financial injection into social housing and homelessness services and awaits further detail on the announcement to see how it can be applied to current successful service delivery outcomes with the Hope Street model.

“New resources to deliver crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic violence and young people at risk of homelessness will make a life-changing difference to each family and young person who will now have a safe home,” -Kate Colvin, Homelessness Australia.

As part of the Home Time campaign, targeting the NHIF to young people has been a major campaign ask over the past six months and Hope Street welcomes the decision. “It is time that young people be recognised as their own cohort when experiencing homelessness and fleeing domestic and family violence.” - Donna Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, Hope Street.

Donna Bennett, Hope Street Chief Executive Officer, is a long-term advocate and industry leader on the need to recognise children and young people in their own right when experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, for resources to be allocated accordingly with youth specific strategies and wrap-around support to be provided to young people and young families. “Currently only 0.4% of social housing and public housing is provided to young people, although they make up the largest cohort of homeless people in Australia. In Victoria, 25 percent of people experience homelessness are under the age of 25.”

According to the Home Time campaign, the new National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness (NASHH) needs to prioritise children and young people with no home and ensure that dedicated tenancies for young people are linked to support services and payments to cover the rental gap for providers.

That is the Home Time campaign’s next objective, and it will start having conversations at federal, state and territory levels immediately and will continue raising these issues in the media and with local MPs. Hope Street is committed to continue to support the Home Time campaign and to raise awareness for Hope Street’s nation leading First Response Youth Service – crisis response model as well as its youth housing foyer-like models operating in Melbourne’s north and west. As a nation leading frontline response, Hope Street has established and tested models with demonstrated success in achieving outcomes for young people in 5 domains: health and wellbeing; living skills; community connection; education, employment and training; tenancy management and budgeting. In collaboration with local and wider communities, Hope Street strives to achieve its vision of a society in which all young people and young families have a safe place to call home.

Donna Bennett gives speech at Property Industry Foundation event, ‘Steps for Homeless Youth.’ 

On a brisk, early morning at the beautiful Albert Park, Donna Bennett, Chief Executive Officer and Katie Hooper, Business Development and Partnerships Manager were pleased to attend the Property Industry Foundation Fun Run, 'Steps for Homeless Youth,' last week!  

This fantastic event for the property and construction industry was hosted by the Property Industry Foundation to raise funds and awareness for youth homelessness. It was great to see so many different organisations support the cause and register teams of runners and walkers to participate in the ‘Steps for Homeless Youth,’ Fun Run Marathon around Albert Park Lake. 

Katie was able to do a 5km lap around Albert Park Lake to represent the Hope Street team alongside hundreds of runners and walkers from different Property and construction companies including Mirvac, Egans, Plan Group, Revert, the Urban Developer, Ohh Media, Dalton Consulting Engineers and many more. 

Following the walk & run component, all participants were invited to attend a networking lunch with drinks, delicious canapes, food stations and prize presentations at The Park Melbourne function venue. Donna Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Hope Street, gave the keynote speech thanking the Property Industry Foundation for selecting Hope Street as a beneficiary.   

Donna was able to use her speech to highlight that only 0.4% of social and public housing is allocated to young people, despite the homeless population in Victoria being 25% people under 25. 

It is through the partnership of Property Industry Foundation that the First Response Youth Refuge Centre has received important funding for the new build. Property Industry Foundation are supporting the build and fixtures for 8 youth refuge bedrooms and ensuites.  Donna described to the 600 supporters the benefits and meaningfulness of their generosity to the young people who will seek safe refuge at the new centre.     

The First Response Youth Refuge in the City of Whittlesea will support over 100 young people including young families each year with accommodation in this nation leading response to youth homelessness.   

Hope Street is proud to partner with the Property Industry Foundation.  As a key partner in the upcoming First Response Youth Service Centre build project, Property Industry Foundation’s incredible advocacy through this Fun Run is an important part of community collaboration to raise money and awareness for youth homelessness.  

Lily D’Ambrosio MP local state member visits the City of Whittlesea First Response Youth Refuge build site again.  

It’s been just over a year since Lily D’Ambrosio joined the special sod turning event in April 2023 followed by a Smoking Ceremony by Aunty Joy Murphy-Wandin.  The site of the new centre is on Wurundjeri land in the heart of the City of Whittlesea.  The area is well known for its old river red gums, and it is such a privilege that there is a 400-600 year old river red gum overlooking the new centre and all who enter.   

In her role as the local member, Lily has been a strong advocate for the centre recognising the need for the local community to have essential services for young people and young families who need safe and specialist assistance, when most in need and vulnerable.  Hope Street CEO, Donna Bennett has seen over her long history working in the Homelessness Sector thousands of young people benefit from these types of specialist services, “Keeping young people in their local community is imperative as it aids in reducing the traumatic impact of being homeless through young people maintaining their familiarity and presence in the area, as well as contact with family and friends,  and school and or employment.”    

Hope Street was successful in attaining a Victorian Government Big Build Youth Housing Capital Grant for the project.  Donna stated “It was a delight to show Lily D’Ambrosio around the site, where it is taking shape with the frames constructed for what will soon become the next First Response Youth Service Centre. This location will provide much needed emergency support and accommodation to 100 young people and young families each year, from the local community and neighbouring suburbs as they access this leading purpose designed high quality First Response Youth Service.” 

Donna and Lily were able to discuss the importance of therapeutically designed live-in centres for young people with a history of homelessness and trauma. This nation leading First Response Youth Service centre and program model of service delivery, will provide individualised planned support with each young person and young family, to their needs as they identify, determine and navigate their way forward to receiving the care they require and a pathway out of homelessness and into sustainable housing.  

City of Whittlesea Youth Mayors visit Hope Street First Response Youth Service Refuge Construction site! 

Hope Street was delighted to welcome to the First Response Youth Service Refuge construction site, Chair Administrator Lydia Wilson who joined the Youth Mayor Zachary Melvaine and Deputy Youth Mayor Kaynat Virk on a sunny Tuesday at the end of April.  Also joining them were their colleagues from the City of Whittlesea council and all were delighted to see the progress of this important community project. 

Hope Street is nation leading in its response to youth homelessness, with this architecturally co-designed new centre taking shape.   Central to the program model is client centred wholistic, strengths based and solutions focused approaches covering 5 key domains of:

1. health and wellbeing, 
2. life-skills (such as budgeting, planning, routines, cooking, cleaning, positive problem solving),
3. sustainable tenancies,
4. education, employment and training,
5. community and cultural connection. 

Combined with the provision of safe (including culturally), secure and respectful spaces and interactions where young people and children’s needs are paramount, this program model and approaches to practice give young people a foundation to work towards their goals.   

Donna Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Hope Street was able to discuss the importance of Hope Street’s First Response Youth Service Refuge in responding to the crisis levels of youth homelessness. On a local level, it is estimated there are at least 854 people in the City of Whittlesea who are experiencing homelessness on any day.*  

The First Response Youth Service centre is on track to be completed this year and will provide much needed specialist youth focused wrap around case management support while young people and children are being safely accommodated in the refuge.   

The centre and its people are protected with the presence of a magnificent 500year old Red River Gum tree, which stands as a significant connection to Wurundjeri country and culture. This tree and the centre design are part of Hope Street offering young people and young families are cultural safety in this new location in the City of Whittlesea.  

More updates to come on this nation leading response to youth homelessness centred in the City of Whittlesea!  

Photo features: Youth Mayor of the City of Whittlesea Zachary Melvaine, Chair Administrator Lydia Wilson, Donna Bennett Chief Executive Officer of Hope Street, Deputy Mayor of the City of Whittlesea Kaynat Virk.

 * https://ncreview.com.au/2023/08/15/aiming-to-end-homelessness-in-the-city-of-whittlesea/