• Statement on ABC article
    Hope Street has joined a coalition of nearly 100 organisations demanding the federal government do more for youth homelessness. With fresh figures revealing the extent of youth homelessness, the campaign, ‘Home Time,’ has called on the Commonwe...

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    Federal Government Extends Homelessness Funding
    We won! Led by Homelessness Australia’s campaign, the Federal Government will extend the 73 million funding to respond to the homelessness crisis. In solidarity with peak service providers and the Australian Services Union, an Open Letter to the ...

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    Hope Street and SleepSafe
    Hope Street is providing comfort for young people and their children.   Providing dignity and comfort for young people and their children who are striving to secure a safe place to call home with high quality and beautifully designed linen. Hope ...

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    Update on the Whittlesea Build Site
    The City of Whittlesea is forecast to grow by 10,9981 by 2041.   Update on the Whittlesea Build Site   Exciting news from the build site!  Over 100 young people aged 16-25 years will receive short term accommodation and support in the City of...

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    2023 Annual Report Brief
    Annual Report Brief:   The Hope Street Youth and Family Services Annual Report for 2023 is available and should be read by those passionate about advocating and raising awareness for the most vulnerable to homelessness in Australia, children, and ...

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    Voice to Parliament Statement
      Hope Street Youth and Family Services proudly supports the First Nations Voice to Parliament and accepts the invitation offered through the Uluru Statement from the Heart, acknowledging that it was developed through consultation with First Nation...

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    JOB ALERT: New career opportunities at Hope Street
    Hope Street has a vision to live in a society where all young people and young families have a safe place to call home. If you would like to play a part in ending youth homelessness, join our teams of passionate people making a difference in the live...

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    Annual Celebration Event: From surviving to thriving - Thank you!
    Thank you to all who attended the Annual Celebration Event, including our AGM, today. We hope that you found it informative and enjoyable. Our Annual Report is now available for you to download and share with your networks: 2022 Annual Report 2022...

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  • Joint letter on youth homelessness
    A coalition of more than 60 organisations, including Melton’s Hope Street Youth and Family Services, Council to Homeless Persons and Youth Affairs Council Victoria has thrown its support behind ending youth homelessness in Victoria. Australian Inst...

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    Minister Pearson and Mr Steve McGhie MP visit Melton refuge
    The Honourable Danny Pearson MP, Minister for Housing (as well as Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Regulatory Reform, and Minister for Government Services), and Steve McGhie MP Melton, Victorian Labor Member for the Melton District, visited the Firs...

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    Having a yarn at Kirrip
    On Monday 10 October 2022, the Hope Street team caught up with Executive Officer Peter Webster and the fabulous team at Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation for a yarn and to share the Kinya Lerrk Acknowledgment plaques that are being installed at all of Ho...

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    Help young people find a place to call home
    Today is World Homeless Day. The purpose is to draw attention to the needs of people who have the experience of being without a home and provide opportunities for the community to get involved. Hope Street Youth and Family Services provides individua...

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    Legal partner visits our Melton refuge
    On Thursday 06 October 2022, Hope Street’s CEO, Donna Bennett, was thrilled to host a visit from HWL Ebsworth Lawyers with Partner, Leighton Moon, and legal professionals, Jane Ku and Thomas Appleby, with a tour of our leading designed youth refuge...

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    Catchup with Izzy Huntington
    CEO, Donna Bennett, recently held a virtual catch up with Hope Street friend and one of our Ambassadors, Isabel (Izzy) Huntington (AFLW, Greater Western Sydney, Giants).  Izzy was delighted to get an update on the outcomes young people engaged with ...

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    Pamper Hampers: Self-care, wellbeing and skills development
    Due to a donation from a generous community corporate partner, young people engaged with Hope Street and calling our programs home are focusing on their wellbeing, learning self-care skills via engagement in tailored fun community activities. Over t...

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    Growth with Hope Street
    A priority at Hope Street Youth and Family Services is that young people using our services are given opportunities for both skills and personal development.  Tending a vegetable garden bed with others is an example of this, being a fun activity tha...

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Hope Street CEO, Donna Bennett, with Jennifer Hansen

Jennifer Hansen, an acclaimed journalist, TV newsreader, blogger and radio announcer, has announced she has taken on an Ambassadorship with Hope Street.

Jen broke the news during National Homelessness Week to her More Music Breakfast Show listeners on smoothfm 91.5 Melbourne, saying she was shocked to learn that there are some 6000 homeless young people in her home town of Melbourne.

Donate a Welcome Home pack today

Hope Street will mark Homelessness Week by calling for Melburnians to provide Welcome Home packs for young people who are experiencing homelessness.

The packs contain essential self-care items, such as towels and toiletries, and are distributed to young people when they first enter a Hope Street program, such as crisis accommodation in Hope Street’s youth refuges. A pack costs $30 and donations are tax deductible.

Hope to Home Research Evaluation Report 2018 Launch

On Friday 17 August 2018, the official findings from research into the effectiveness of the Hope to Home (Melton and Whittlesea) pilot programs were released in a report launched at Victoria University, Footscray Park.

The launch featured:

  • Stories of Hope video in which two young people shared their experience of homelessness and the assistance they received from Hope Street, produced by Woodgrove Shopping Centre Melton
  • Donna Bennett, Hope Street CEO opening the launch and introducing key speakers
  • Dr Michelle Ball, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Victoria University, member of the Institute for Health and sport (iHeS) and Deputy Head of the Clinical and Community Health and Wellbeing Research Program
  • Dr Peter Gill and Dr Daniel Ooi, Victoria University researchers and members of the Institute for Health and sport (iHeS) presenting the report findings
  • Zara, one of the young participants in the Hope to Home in Whittlesea pilot program who, through a live interview with Hope Street Programs Manager (North East), Christine Fagan, recounted how the program helped her and her young family to find a safe place to call home and enabled her to continue her studies.
Parity July 2016 edition

Today's launch of The Role of Community Development in Responding to Homelessness edition of the Council to Homeless Persons' Parity magazine has highlighted how essential community support is for helping those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Community development brings together members of the local community to enable members to identify and develop actions to address local needs.

Parity magazine edition launch

On 24 August 2016, the Honourable Martin Foley, Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Equality and Minister for Creative Industries launched the Council to Homeless Persons' edition of Parity magazine titled The Role of Community Development in Responding to Homelessness.

Hope Street CEO, Donna Bennett, and Service Development Manager, Bruce Tucker, have contributed two articles on community development and homelessness in this edition.

My Hope Street Big Fat Fundraiser

Fantastic fundraiser helps to build better futures for young people!

The My Hope Street Big Fat Fundraiser was held on Friday 24 June 2016 at Hellenic Republic in Kew, and was proudly organised by the Hope Street Corporate Committee with special thanks to Upfront Events. Guests were treated to a banquet of sumptuous Greek food, delectable wines, live and silent auctions and great prizes. The entertainment consisted of bouzouki players, a keyboard musician and a renowned Melbourne comedian.

More houses for people

Hope Street is proud to be a part of the North and West Local Area Services Networks’ More houses for people, a year-long campaign kicking off during Homelessness Prevention Week.

Hope Street’s CEO, Donna Bennett, is the chair of the Northern Local Area Services Network and she MC'd the campaign launch on Thursday 06 August 2015 at the Global Learning Centre in Broadmeadows.  The event included guest speakers, music, distribution of campaign postcards, selling of campaign t-shirts and a strong message that there are a number of doable strategies to solve homelessness experienced by over 22,000 Victorians each day - in particular, governments investing in affordable housing. 

Gold Stars performers

Homeless youth shine while sharing their experiences through music.

On 24 June 2015, Hope Street hosted the Gold Stars CD launch, BOOM! BOOM is a compilation of songs written, produced and sung by young people who, for various reasons, have done it tough.  The songs are largely about their stories, they speak truth about life, with a whole lot of funk! 

Christmas in July

The end of July brought the beginnings of new business contacts, knowledge about Hope Street — and early Christmas tidings!

On Thursday 30 July, a number of guests celebrated the festive season at a fabulous networking and fundraising morning presented by Q Networking Group in Kew. 

The Q Networking Group Christmas in July was a great success. A past Hope Street client, Connor, was the star of the show. Connor spoke to the Q Networking Group guests about his experience of Hope Street and how he was enabled to remain at school (he is currently completing Year 12) and finally find stable accommodation.

The Federal Member for Wills and Secretary of Trade, Kelvin Thomson launched the Hope Street BOOST Program Evaluation Final Report, July 2013, Dr K. Jones and Dr L. Costello AHURI to an attentive group of community service organisations, local government officials and staff, the North Division Hume Moreland Area Director and supporters, on Monday the 5th of August in Coburg North.  

Hope to Home in Whittlesea

FEATURED PILOT PROGRAM: Hope to Home in Whittlesea

Many young people face obstacles when trying to secure stable accommodation due to no rental history, lack of affordable housing, and no employment to sustain rental leases.  The Hope to Home in Whittlesea pilot program will address these issues by:

  • Facilitating the transition of up to 30 young people (and their children) from the Hope Street in Whittlesea program or Whittlesea Housing into 1 and 2 bedroom units
  • Providing case management once they secure private rental of these units
  • Helping these young people maintain their tenancy, employment, education and training, and community connections
  • Engaging the support of community stakeholders including local businesses to address barriers contributing to youth homelessness

Please contact us if you would like to become a partner and support at risk young people and young families.

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