Youth Residential Brunswick West Refuge
Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Country
Crisis accommodation and mobile outreach support for young people aged 16–25.
The Youth Residential Program at the Brunswick West refuge provides trauma-informed, strengths-based case management and intensive short-term crisis accommodation, for young people and young families in Melbourne’s North-East metropolitan region. The centre features eight bedrooms for single young people and a family unit, providing safe, flexible, and culturally inclusive accommodation that caters to the unique needs of each resident. The program adopts a wholistic approach that prioritises the safety, wellbeing, and individual goals of each young person, while recognising and responding to their unique cultural backgrounds and lived experiences.
The program assists young people in securing safe, stable housing while connecting them with a range of tailored supports, including physical and mental health services, education and employment pathways, legal and financial guidance, social and recreational opportunities, and emergency resources such as food, material aid, brokerage, or medication. Delivered through a client-centred approach, the service combines short-term case management with referrals to ongoing homelessness and allied services, specialist programs, and brokerage support. The program is designed to prevent and reduce immediate homelessness by enabling young people to access stable housing quickly, while fostering strong personal and cultural support networks. It encourages participation in education, training, and employment opportunities, and promotes resilience, independence, and life skills. Through early intervention, the program helps young people navigate homelessness, mental health, and drug and alcohol services, and supports safe reunification with family, when appropriate. Ongoing outreach after program exit ensures continuous support and longer-term stability.
First Response Youth Refuge in Whittlesea
Wurundjeri/Willam and Wurundjeri balug and Taungurung
Crisis accommodation and mobile outreach support for young people aged 16–25.
The First Response Youth Service operates from a purpose-built centre that provides immediate crisis accommodation and intensive, wrap-around support to up to 100 young people each year, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With eight bedrooms for individuals and two family units—including a dedicated space for young First Nations families from the local community—the service offers safe, flexible, and culturally responsive accommodation tailored to diverse needs. More than just a place to stay, the program is designed to create meaningful opportunities for young people by using a strengths-based and solution-focused approach.
Young people are supported to address immediate challenges while also working towards longer-term goals such as reconnecting with education, gaining employment, improving health and wellbeing, connecting to culture, and building financial stability. By providing a stable foundation, the service helps young people recover from trauma, strengthen connections to community, and develop the skills and confidence needed to secure sustainable housing. Ultimately, the program aims to break cycles of homelessness and disadvantage, supporting young people and young families to rebuild their lives with dignity, independence, and hope.
First Response Youth Refuge in Melton
Waduwurrong/ Bunurong/ Wurundjeri Country
A specialist, purpose-built refuge designed specifically for young people and young families.
The refuge consists of three buildings that prioritise safety, dignity and privacy:
- 8-bed communal living building
- A 2-bedroom family unit for young people with children
- An integrated consulting centre for onsite support and services
The First Response Youth Refuge in Melton provides a coordinated response to young people and young families experiencing homelessness in the Melton LGA and surrounding areas. The program delivers intensive short-term crisis accommodation of up to eight weeks, supported by client-centred and strengths-based case management. The service provides eight individual bedrooms and a family unit, offering safe, adaptable, and culturally respectful accommodation designed to meet a variety of needs. The service focuses on addressing immediate housing and support needs through access to accommodation, health services, education and employment pathways, legal and financial assistance, cultural and social connection, and emergency relief such as food and brokerage.
Delivered by a multidisciplinary team and enhanced by co-located specialist programs, the refuge adopts a wholistic, team approach to support young people to achieve safe, stable housing outcomes. The program aims to reduce youth homelessness, support rapid rehousing, strengthen cultural and community connections, and build young people’s capacity to engage in education, employment, and broader community life, while also addressing service gaps and promoting early intervention. It targets young people aged 16–25, who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and may present with complex needs, including mental health, substance use, disability, family violence, or social disconnection. Operating 24/7, each young person is allocated a dedicated specialist case manager, with support continuing post-exit through an outreach component ensuring continuity of care as young people transition to longer-term housing and interdependence.