Lily D’Ambrosio MP and 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/  

Hope Street is building… a team and a youth homelessness service in City of Whittlesea. 

Hope Street is a leading youth homelessness organisation specialising in placed based youth focused responses and advocacy, now recruiting a new team for the upcoming state-of-the-art designed centre for young people and children.  The new team will consist of: a Team Leader, two Case Managers and six Youth Residential Support Workers who will provide early intervention support to young people 16-25 years and young families impacted by not having a safe place to call home.  These roles are suitable for people that have qualifications in Social Work and/or Youth Work. This is an opportunity to be part of a nation leading response to homelessness in the City of Whittlesea. 

The Hope Street First Response Youth Service model is being replicated from the highly successful First Response Youth Service model established in Melton in 2020.  Aboriginal cultural safety elements have been included in the design of this new centre and incorporating  

A dedicated unit for young Aboriginal families and their children. Hope Street acknowledges the protection of a culturally significant river red gum, that is the centrepiece of this new facility.  

Recruitment of a Team Leader is under way and applications are also being received for the case managers and youth residential staff. See the careers page of the website for roles, position descriptions and application process.    

 Hope Street is looking for new team members who: 

• Share Hope Street’s values.   
• Are energised and motivated to provide young people and young families with essential and potentially life changing services. 
• Are enthusiastic to utilise your experience, skills, knowledge and approaches to practice. 
• Welcome a challenge. 
• Look for growth and development. 
• Desire to be a part of a team and organisation that genuinely values its team. 
• Enjoy empowering young people to achieve great outcomes.   

If the above resonates with you, you are encouraged to apply for one of the new positions and become a part of the Hope Street team.    

“It will be exciting for case managers and youth residential workers to work with the new Team Leader to develop this program. Significant induction with our experienced existing teams will occur prior to the service opening.” - Nicole Misurelli (People and Culture Manager).    

This beautifully designed building is specially catered towards those that need therapeutically enhanced living areas to support young people that have been impacted by trauma. The construction of the new centre is making swift progress.   Check out the Whittlesea build here: Update on Whittlesea.  

Sue Scott, the Operations Manager at Hope Street: “It is terrific seeing the structure of the centre take shape. We will have 100 young people each year call this space home and each young person will have the opportunity to feel safe and be actively supported to achieve their goals. Young people who engage with Hope Street are supported by case managers to set goals in the following areas: living skills, health and wellbeing, cultural and community connection and education/ training or employment. The young residents use the opportunity of living in the Hope Street refuge to set themselves for success.”    

To apply to be part of the Hope Street team, please visit the careers page here.

Youth Homelessness Matters Day  

Youth Homelessness Matters Day (YHMD) is a national day that aims to raise awareness and public discussion about child and youth homelessness. It's a day to start conversations about sustainable and innovative solutions to support the needs of young people experiencing homelessness. On any given night, over 28,200 young people in Australia are experiencing homelessness. (ABS Census, 2021).  

On April 17th 2024 Hope Street staff attended the launch of the new edition of Parity, "Going it Alone: Unaccompanied Child and Youth Homelessness - Pathways into and out of Homelessness." Parity magazine is Australia’s leading national homelessness publication. The launch event was attended by lived experience advocates, community, youth and social service workers, young people, and young families with lived experience of homelessness, members of Government and people in the community interested in ending child and youth homelessness.  

The opening address was provided by the Hon. Josh Burns MP, Chair of the Human Rights Committee. “Nearly 40,000* young people are homeless, and they need to be at the heart of everything we do... today we come together to remind ourselves of who this is about. Young people. Every Australian deserves to have a safe home.” - Josh Burns MP.  

The highlight of the event was a vital and lively panel discussion of young people with lived experience to share their stories and views on how to create an improved service response and what matters to them. Johnathan, a young person from Hope Street shared how important it is to get support for mental health. Having accommodation and food options. “When I got into a refuge, where I had a bed, shower and food was great. Even just to sit on a couch and watch T.V was great rather than sit in a park all day and stare at a tree wondering where I would go next for the night.” When asked what does wrap around support look like, Johnathan spoke on his positive experience with Hope Street, “support teams that offer a range of supports including case managers, counselling, life skills and activities that are all needed for young people to move on.”  

Hope Street's Chief Executive Officer, Donna Bennett featured on a Panel discussion hosted by Kate Colvin, CEO of Homelessness Australia, alongside Natalie McDonald, CEO of Quantum Support Services; Stephen Nash, CEO Kids Under Cover as well as Shorna Moore, MCM; Wayne Merritt, WAYSS. 

Donna Bennett from Hope Street spoke passionately about the current realities of young people experiencing homelessness: “It is now impossible to get a young person into private rental. Youth allowance is not enough. Only 0.04% of social and public housing is provided to young people. Child and youth homelessness across Australia must be considered as a state of emergency.  We are at a critical turning point in history in Australia requiring immediate action.” 

Youth Homelessness Matters Day is an urge for all levels of government to take real action and provide the necessary funding to implement solutions. From the perspective of young people with lived experience, the social support they receive from Hope Street is vital to improving their connection to community and wellbeing.  

For this new April 2024 edition of Parity, Hope Street has submitted multiple articles on youth homelessness which advocates for young people and aims at addressing the systemic barriers to housing that impact on Australia’s most vulnerable citizens.  

Hope Street will be posting these articles to continue the advocacy on this important issue and provide solutions to the community.  
 

Articles which feature in April 2024 edition by Hope Street include: 

Donna Bennett’s Opinion Piece, pg. 90  

Safety First: The Medical System Failing Vulnerable Young People on Mental Health, pg. 38 

Multidisciplinary approaches in the homelessness sector: Views from the second-floor balcony; a Case study on lived experience youth homelessness. By Gary Hoang, pg. 42.  

Championing Health at Hope Street. By Jamileh Hargreaves and A/Prof. Jessica Heerde, pg 46.   

Announcing the next steps for Hope Street; sustainable housing options with long-term solutions. By Sue Scott, pg. 78 

Education is just the beginning for young people: Collaboration, inclusion and paid placements vital to the youth homelessness service sector, achieve great equity and cultural harmony across communities. Ruby Kelly-Gurthie and Jamileh Hargreaves, pg. 65.   

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*Nearly 40,000 children and young Australians receive homeless services on an annual basis without an adult present, according to the latest figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.