Jennifer Hansen, smoothfm 91.5 radio announcer and acclaimed journalist and newsreader, is an Ambassador for Hope Street. She recently spoke with Nick, a previous Hope Street client, to hear about his experiences with homelessness, the role Hope Street played in his life, and the ways he's now paying it forward. In Jennifer's own words…

It's hard not to describe 23-year-old Nick as the 'poster boy' for Hope Street because he's such a great example of how this wonderful organisation makes such a real and positive change in young people's lives.

And while I'd prefer not to use clichés here because it diminishes just how unique each story is behind the lives of every one of the young people at Hope Street… Nick truly is an inspiration to the others who come to the service for specialist assistance.

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We’re being told that the safest place to be right now is home. But what does this mean for the more than 6000 young people who are experiencing homelessness in Victoria? And for the many more for whom home is not a safe place to be? How do you self-isolate and wash your hands regularly if you’re couch surfing in an over-crowded share-house or motel, sleeping in your car, or taking shelter on the streets?

Dear Friends of Hope Street,

Hope Street is currently home to 30 young people who are experiencing homelessness. They are aged between 16 and 25 years old, most of them have a childhood history of family violence, trauma and/or neglect, and several of them have young children who are also staying with us.

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Hope Street has made a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Homelessness in Victoria in which we bring to the fore the issues of most concern for young people and young families who are experiencing homelessness in Victoria.

Hope Street interviewed and consulted with current and previous Hope Street clients, and their Case Managers, to capture their voices and opinions on how Victoria can best respond to youth homelessness. Overwhelmingly, the most pressing feedback we received from young people is that youth homelessness requires a specialist response that is different to the response required by the general homeless population. In the absence of youth-specific responses, young people are often missing out on resources and falling through the gaps. Young people also require homelessness services to be available in their own communities, not only centralized in Melbourne city.

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