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Hope Street is currently building a First Response Youth Service Centre in the City of Whittlesea to respond to the needs of youth homelessness in Melbourne’s northwest growth corridor. This nation leading, therapeutically designed youth refuge centre will provide holistic, wrap-around support for young people and young families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. At the heart of the centre is a heritage gumtree which reflects connection to community and country.
About the service
The Hope Street First Response Youth Service in Whittlesea (LGA) incorporates construction of a purpose-built 13 bedroom supported crisis accommodation centre (youth refuge), offering a 24/7 wrap-around response and case management support to young people and young families. The service will:
- Provide youth focused and supported crisis accommodation to 100 young people per year
- Provide mobile outreach services to 120 young people per year
- Provide strength-based, solution-focused, holistic wrap-around case management and integrated support
- Respond to complex issues and needs, making appropriate referrals to specialist support
- Assist young people with the transition to new living arrangements
- Link young people with supports in their local communities, as part of a local place response
- Provide support onsite 24/7, 365 days per year in the refuge, plus after-hours service via the mobile outreach component
Who will benefit?
The First Response Youth Service aims to prevent and divert young people and their children from the situation of homelessness and to provide specialised client focused support to young people and their children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It will do this by working towards the following outcomes for young people and their children:
- Young people are diverted from the homelessness service system;
- Young people receive stable, safe accomodation and begin to build a pathway out of homelessness;
- Young people recieve stable, safe accomodation to begin addressing health, wellbeing, and trauma;
- Young people have a stable base from which to look for and retain employment and education opportunities;
- Young people are able to access full income entitlements and thereby have increased financial security; and
- Young people have improved connectedness to several support systems (schools, recreational, friends, family).
Why Whittlesea?
The City of Whittlesea reports high rates of youth homelessness, disadvantage and disengagement:
- On Census night 2016 there were 630 people experiencing homelessness
- Homelessness increased by 7% between 2011 and 2016
- As at March 2019 there were 3272 people on the waiting list for social housing
- 63% of households are in rent-related financial stress
- 25% of young people aged 15-24 years experience mental health problems
- One of the highest rates of family violence in Melbourne
- The second highest youth unemployment rate in Melbourne
Our credentials
Hope Street has been providing specialist homelessness housing and support programs in the City of Whittlesea since 2008, and the First Response Youth Service will complete the local place-based offering. There is currently no youth refuge in the area.
Hope Street completed an identical project — the Hope Street First Response Youth Service in Melton — in 2018/2019, with the construction of a purpose-designed First Response youth refuge (operating since August 2020).
Contributor
In partnership with the City of Whittlesea, a site close to the train line and shopping centre (as well as other community amenities) is being leased to Hope Street to build and operate.
July 2023 sees construction commence on the First Response Youth Service in Whittlesea.
Donate now to help support young people and young families who don't have a safe place to call home. Thank you!
