HWL Ebsworth Lawyers  – Leighton Moon 

1 - HWL Ebsworth Lawyers has been providing pro-bono legal support to Hope Street for a number of years now - Can you tell us how that relationship came about, and what it looks like in practice?  

 The relationship with Hope Street began when HWL Ebsworth was brought in to help with the Whittlesea project. There were some challenges in delivering that project, and the team worked through them together. From there, and true to Donna's (CEO of Hope Street) indefatigable enthusiasm, the relationship quickly grew, expanding into areas such as making the constitution more fit for purpose, assisting with funding for projects, and supporting the process of becoming a registered community housing agency. 

That work included having a team of HWL Ebsworth lawyers seconded to Hope Street for several months to help get everything into place. The team found the experience genuinely rewarding - a welcome change from the normal corporate law firm environment, with noticeably better morning teas. It has been, all round, a really rewarding and enjoyable experience being involved with Hope Street. 

2 - Helping establish Hope Street Youth Housing as a registered community housing agency is a landmark achievement – Why does it matter so much for the future of youth homelessness services in Victoria and why should the wider community care about it?  

It is a massive achievement, and I am really happy for Hope Street that they have managed to take this step. Whenever the facilities are visited or conversations are had with Hope Street CEO and the board at Hope Street, one thing is immediately clear, the demand for their services is enormous. Finding longer-term solutions for young people has always been a real challenge, and the honest truth is that ten more facilities could be built and they would all be full. 

Hope Street does a great job getting people in, making them feel safe, and giving them the respite they need to find their feet. However, longer-term solutions for individuals and their families are just as important, and this new entity is a meaningful step along that journey. 

One of the things that struck me, and to be honest, surprised me a little when I first visited and met some of the young people was just how warm, normal and engaging they were. These are not people at risk of being lost to society, they are people who simply need a helping hand. With that support, they have every opportunity to build a good life and pass that on to the next generation. There is a real and practical opportunity for organisations like Hope Street to provide that helping hand at the right moment and watch someone's trajectory change completely. 

What also stands out is the way Donna and the team communicate with young people. Being caring without coming across as patronising is not easy, but they manage it in a consistently positive and inspirational way. The result is visible: the young people at their facilities are noticeably more relaxed, engaged and hopeful. 

So, to any organisations out there thinking of supporting Hope Street, I can genuinely say that the outcomes they achieve are really impressive. The difference they make to individuals who just need that little extra support is remarkable to witness. My team have found it genuinely rewarding working with Hope Street, and the enthusiasm of both the staff and the young people is contagious. 

3 - HWL Ebsworth's support spans contracts, leases, property matters, governance, risk, and policy, from a legal perspective, what are the most pressing challenges facing community organisations like Hope Street, and where do you see the most promising solutions emerging?  

 HWL Ebsworth is a full-service law firm, which means we can help Hope Street with pretty much anything that comes up, property matters, corporate matters, and everything in between. 

That said, the most pressing challenge facing organisations like Hope Street is not strictly a legal one. It is a red tape issue. The sheer amount of effort and administration that goes into paperwork, approvals and financing is a real distraction from the core task of looking after young people. Much of what we have been able to do is provide boots on the ground: enthusiastic, intelligent and hardworking people who can navigate the various hoops that need to be cleared to get things across the line. 

Securing funding, in the right amounts and at the right times, remains a pressing difficulty for all organisations like Hope Street. The demand speaks for itself, if ten more facilities had been built over the last six or seven years, they would all be completely full and oversubscribed. This is where HWL Ebsworth's background as corporate advisors brings particular value. Understanding how funders and financiers think, and being able to speak their language, strengthens Hope Street's credibility with the agencies that matter, demonstrating that it is not just an organisation with a big heart, but one with the intellectual horsepower and support structure to deliver on what it is trying to achieve. 

Beyond navigating paperwork, there is also real value in the credibility that comes with having a major law firm and strong advisors behind an organisation. When agencies are deciding who to fund, having a professional support network in place, including specialists like brand architecture consultancies who help build gravitas and standing, genuinely matters. That is what HWL Ebsworth has been able to provide, and it has been a really rewarding journey. 

4 - Pro-bono work of this depth requires real commitment from your team, what do you think about this type of project that motivates your team to contribute their expertise and good will?  

 As mentioned, several team members were seconded to Hope Street for a few months, and they really loved the experience. They found it genuinely rewarding in all sorts of ways. The ultimate goal was obviously something they could see real merit in, but beyond that, the Hope Street staff were so enthusiastic, and that enthusiasm is infectious. The team were just really happy to go into their offices and work alongside them. 

The way that Donna and her team communicate the good work they are doing, and make you feel personally involved in the lives of each young person they impact, is always really rewarding, and of course, meeting the young people themselves and seeing the difference being made is a great boost. 

For anyone thinking about supporting Hope Street, one of the things that stands out is the immediacy of the impact. The assistance being provided is very practical and the results are obvious each time. Some charities do great work, but it can be difficult to see because much of it is research-based or longer term. What is really special about Hope Street is that you can immediately see people being impacted for the better, and that makes it very easy for the team to stay motivated and engaged. 

5 - The human impact behind every contract reviewed and every policy strengthened, there is a young person moving more quickly toward safety and a home, can you share a moment where you felt the real-world impact of HWL Ebsworth's legal work on being a part of the solutions to youth  homelessness with the establishment of Hope Street Youth Housing? And what would be your message to a young person impacted by homelessness right now? 

 There are many examples of that. One of the great things that Donna and her team do is get everyone who has been involved in a project along to the opening of each facility. The contracts are done, the project delivery is supported to get it built, and then attending the opening and coming back several months later for a coffee with the team to see it filling up with young people is an immediate and obvious reward. It is clear evidence of the good work that Hope Street are doing and how HWL Ebsworth is contributing to that. 

As part of those visits, the team also gets to meet with the young people themselves, sit down, have a coffee or a scone, and talk with them about life and everything that is going on. That is always really special. 

As for what to say to a young person facing homelessness right now, it is a difficult question to answer simply, because one of the things that becomes very obvious is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. They all come with different backstories, different challenges and different strengths. One of the most important things that Hope Street does, and it is a message in itself, is simply this: here is a safe space. What I would like the young people to know is “There are people who care about you and who are going to help you get on the right track, even if they are not people who are immediately part of your life. There are broader organisations like Hope Street out there that can give you that extra helping hand”. 

Even after six or seven years of being involved, hearing the stories of people who have been through Hope Street and the steps they have made in their lives is genuinely inspirational. It is great that Donna does such a good job helping the current young people see what life has looked like for those who were in their position just a few years ago.