Anthony Goldsworthy, Chair of the Board of Hope Street Youth Housing Limited.   

1 - Congratulations on your appointment as Chair of the Board of Hope Street Youth Housing Limited. Behind every governance role there is usually a deeply personal reason for showing up. What is it about youth homelessness specifically that drew you to take on this role, and was there a particular moment that solidified your commitment to this cause? 

I have an understanding of the challenges young people face growing up in areas that often carry significant socioeconomic disadvantages. I was really passionate about being part of an organisation that truly puts young people at the centre, one that gives those who have found themselves at risk of, or actually experiencing, homelessness the best possible chance to extract themselves from that situation and have an equal shot at a fair and prosperous life, just as others do across the state.

There wasn't one particular moment, but rather a feeling. Having been fortunate enough to have been given the opportunities I have had in life, it was really important that I did my bit to help others who weren't so fortunate.

2 - Hope Street Youth Housing has been years in the making, from feasibility studies to ASIC registration and represents a landmark step in expanding safe, stable housing options for young people. As Chair, what excites you most about what this new entity can achieve? And what wasn't possible before? 

Hope Street Youth Housing has been established as a not-for-profit and registered housing provider in Victoria. What that means is that Hope Street Youth Housing will

have access to, and the ability to develop and maintain, properties made available for both young people and other tenants, in order to increase the overall property pool for people who really need somewhere to live.

In the past, that wasn't possible under the model that Hope Street Youth and Family Services operated under, as it wasn't a registered housing provider. The way public policy is moving at the moment is to provide access to more properties and capital through various government initiatives to build and run more social housing. We are super excited to have established this entity, because it gives us a greater opportunity to champion the needs of young people in social housing.

This goes beyond just supporting those at the pointy end, those requiring a safe roof for a few weeks or a few months through the refuge programmes that Hope Street Youth and Family Services has been operating for many years. It's about providing a longer-term option for young people after they exit that initial crisis mode. Something more solid, where they can start to establish proper roots in the community, around family, around jobs, and simply have somewhere that is truly their own.

Many other registered housing providers aren't necessarily focused on young people, whereas our organisation will be very much focused on providing social housing specifically for young people.

3 - We acknowledge the tremendous commitment and support from key Hope Street partners, including HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, as well as individuals wanting to be part of the solution to youth homelessness. How critical has their support and expert contribution been in establishing Hope Street Youth Housing? 

I'd like to particularly recognise HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, who have provided significant support on a pro bono basis. There is a lot of work that goes into establishing a new company, registering as a not-for-profit with the ATO, becoming a registered housing provider, and not to mention all the policies and processes that need to be established for a new legal entity. Their support has been long-term and tremendous in getting this company set up.

I'd also like to recognise Dr Kate Kerkin from K2 Planning, who has been fabulous in helping us through that process, as well as Affordable Housing Solutions, who helped us work through the options around establishing this entity.

I'd like to thank all of those parties, but also the tremendous boards of directors of both Hope Street Youth and Family Services and Hope Street Youth Housing. They are all volunteers who have put their hands up to spend their very valuable personal time contributing to both entities and to the establishment of this new entity.

And of course, the tireless work of the entire Hope Street management team and staff, who do a great job every day on the ground and have gone above and beyond in getting this entity up and running.

4 - What would you say to government, philanthropists and the corporate sector about why investing in youth-specific social housing is one of the smartest investments they can make?  

There has obviously been a lot of work to get to this point, the Hope Street Youth Housing organisation is currently just establishing its operations, and we are going to require significant support from both government and private philanthropists to help us take that next step, get operational, and start doing what we set out to do for young people.

What I would say is that any investment or contribution towards helping young people carries a really significant social return on investment, and that has been proven over the years. Intervention at a young age can actually help save a great deal of money within the public system further down the track, given that young people who have been through one of our services are less likely to require additional support later, whether that be through the health system, the prison system, or other areas of public expenditure.

I think it is a smart economic investment in our young people, but also an important investment in social cohesion given that young people make up such an important part of the fabric of our society here in Australia and in Victoria.

5 - As someone who has chosen to dedicate your leadership to ensuring young people have a safe place to call home. What would you say to a young person right now who is facing homelessness or navigating some of life's toughest challenges? 

I'd say to a young person in that situation that, there are people out there, including all of us at Hope Street who understand how hard it is. We understand that the cost of living right now is making things even harder, and we know that the system is not perfect. We know that a number of you have been left behind because of that system.

But I want any young person currently having a difficult time to hear that there are people who care. There are many people contributing, both financially and through their time and effort to help address some of the challenges you are going through, and we will continue to do that, and to advocate for you with government and in the public sphere.

6 - In five years’ time, how will you know that Hope Street Youth Housing Limited has succeeded. What does that look like for the organisation, and more importantly, what does it look like for a young person? 

I think we will have succeeded even if we have helped just one young person into stable housing, but we are a little more ambitious than that. We want to ensure there is a material increase in the inventory of social housing available to young people and we want to ensure that every young person who comes through one of our refuges is able to find stable housing as they exit, whether that be through Hope Street Youth Housing or through other organisations that we can inspire to do something similar to what we are doing as a registered housing provider.