Hope Street Youth and Family Services - Hope Street First Response Youth Service in Melton

Hope Street First Response Youth Service in Melton

The Hope Street First Response Youth Service in Melton (Youth Refuge) is a new, innovative program recently funded by the State Government in response to youth homelessness in the growth corridor of the City of Melton.

The service will be provided within a purpose-built centre consisting of three separate buildings:

8-bed communal living building
2-bedroom unit for young people and their children/families
administration building

The design is based on leading specialist youth-focused practice.

What does the program offer?

Service delivery is based on the enhanced youth refuge model aiming to improve outcomes for young people as a part of a homelessness prevention approach by:

diverting young people from the service system where possible
making appropriate referrals to specialist support
responding to complex issues and needs, assisting with the transition to new living arrangements
linking young people with supports in their local communities

Hope Street has been working closely with various stakeholders in the Melton local government area to establish the Youth Refuge along with specialist wrap around support services for young people experiencing homelessness. The Hope Street First Response Youth Mobile Outreach Service in Melton will work with the emergency accommodation centre, providing at risk young people with stable and safe accommodation and youth-specific supports.

How can young people enter this program?

Young people must be:

16 - 25 years of age
individuals or part of a couple / family (eg siblings, single parent and child, couple and child)
homeless or at risk of being homeless and in crisis
linked to the Melton local government area

Construction of the new facility will commence August 2018 with completion by mid-2019. Regular updates on the Hope Street First Response Youth Service in Melton project as each milestone is achieved over the next twelve months will be provided in our Featured Stories section.

In the interim, a supported crisis response service will be operating from two offices in the City of Melton. Please contact us for further information.