A NEW homeless refuge will be the City of Whittlesea’s first youth emergency accommodation for people aged between 16 and 25 looking to stay in their community.
The State Government invested $5.06 million through the Youth Housing Capital Grants program to build a First Response Youth Service in South Morang, aiming to give young people the foundations and support to live their best lives.
Built in partnership with Hope Street Youth and Family Services and the City of Whittlesea, the First Response Youth Service will have 12 bedrooms, including a family unit and emergency accommodation, as well as mobile outreach and intensive, holistic case management.
Hope Street Youth and Family Services chief executive Donna Bennet said building the accommodation was imperative.
“Young people make up nearly a quarter of the homeless cohort in Victoria. Many of these young adults are at an extremely vulnerable and significant point in their lives and due to family breakdown, poverty, lack of affordable housing, and family violence find themselves without a home,” she said.
“If we as a community don’t intervene early, homeless youth become homeless adults who have entrenched disadvantages.”
Hope Street is an established youth service provider with services in northern and western areas of Melbourne and a long-standing partnership with the City of Whittlesea.
Chair administrator Lydia Wilson welcomed the announcement as one of council’s key advocacy priorities for social and affordable housing.
“Council, along with Hope Street, has been advocating to the Victorian Government for funding to build an accommodation facility in the City of Whittlesea,” she said.
“We are delighted the funds are now available to progress this important project.”
Construction will begin in the coming weeks and is anticipated to be complete by mid-2024.
Parliamentary concern
Homelessness rates across Whittlesea have continued to rise in recent years, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 census data showing 854 people were experiencing homelessness in the area.
Between 2016 and 2021, Whittlesea’s homelessness numbers have increased by 224 – well above the national average of 5.2 per cent.
Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said the increase was evidence of the State Government failing to keep an eye on Victoria’s most vulnerable people.
Ms Lovell said the government was covering the extent of Victorian homelessness by not publishing the social housing waiting lists since June 2022.
“Applicants with priority status are the most vulnerable who are homeless, at risk of recurring homelessness, escaping family violence, living with a disability or have a special housing need,” she said.
“These applicants have been given priority status because they are deemed to be in immediate need of housing, however the state budget performance measure shows applicants are waiting an average of 14 months to be housed.”
A government spokesperson said Labor will continue to provide funding to the City of Whittlesea, with $134 million invested in the area to date, to create 310 new homes under the Big Housing Build and other social housing programs.
Part of the investment includes $50 million through Youth Housing Capital Grants to build more accommodation for youth.
The spokesperson said the Liberal Party had been guilty of underinvesting in homelessnes, which escalated across Australia due to broader economic pressures including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising interest rates and cost-of-living pressures.
“The last time the Liberals were in government, they cut hundreds of millions of dollars from housing and homelessness services and now their federal colleagues are blocking billions of dollars of investment in new social and affordable housing across the country, including Victoria,” they said.
