Housing
Housing is one of the most fundamental of basic human rights. Not only that, but homelessness greatly reduces people's participation in other areas of life such as employment, schooling, while health and nutrition are also greatly affected. Each year, Good Shepherd helps hundreds of people in need right across Melbourne with emergency and short or medium-term accommodation.
Wherever possible, we link people who come to us for housing assistance into other Good Shepherd programs, aiming for a holistic solution to their problems.
Collingwood
SHYP - Supported Housing for Young People
SHYP provides transitional housing and support to young people aged 16 – 24 years old who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in the City of Yarra and surrounding areas. Currently the program has access to nine properties housing 12 young people. Young people are placed into properties which are mostly shared accommodation with other young people of the same sex. They are then required to pay rent representing 25 per cent of their gross income.
The aim of the program is to develop a housing exit plan taking into account the young person's long-term housing goal. This may be either private rental or accommodation through the Ministry of Housing. The SHYP support worker also develops a support plan addressing the needs of the young person including budgetry assistance and financial and material aid.
SHYP also provides outreach support to young people who are at risk of homelessness or are immediately homeless. This intervention is provided for up to 12 weeks. Young people are assisted by immediately finding safe and secure accommodation if the need is immediate, otherwise plan together with the young person ways to address their housing issue.
Peninsula
Domestic Violence Refuges
Domestic violence is a serious crime and is a major cause of depression and ill health in women and children. Most of the children the program works with have witnessed violence in their homes. This has a serious and lasting impact on children.
Mornington Peninsula Domestic Violence Service supports women and children experiencing domestic violence who live and/or work on the Mornington Peninsula. It seeks to work in close collaboration with all agencies in that area.
Mornington Peninsula Domestic Violence Service is staffed by experienced workers who can offer support over the phone or face to face in a safe and confidential environment. The team provides information, works with women and children to assess their current situation and risk, assist them make safety plans and helps women access the services they need from other agencies.
During the 2004 – 2005 year the progam worked directly with 206 women and children and provided telephone outreach to many more.
St Albans
St Albans Youth Housing
St Albans Youth Housing (StAYH) supports young people aged 15-25 years old who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. StAYH has the nomination rights for 12 transitional housing properties within the City of Brimbank.
When a young person is housed in one of StAYH's properties they enter into a support agreement and in conjunction with their worker develop a support plan. Support plans outline goals they would like to achieve and support needs. This plan would normally address issues in the young person's life with a view to supporting them so that by the time they leave StAYH they can move into independent housing.
The young people living in StAYH properties are responsible for paying utility bills, cooking, washing their clothes and all other general household chores that would be expected of people living independently in the community. Rent is subsidised and is calculated dependent on the young person's income.
StAYH has been able to further support young people who are studying or training with the introduction of initiatives arising from the Victorian Homelessness Strategy (VHS).
In addition to supported housing, StAYH also provides referral to other services, distributes limited housing establishment funds to young people to support them to maintain alternative housing options (such as private rental), advocates on homelessness issues and participates in networks. There are two full-time workers attached to the StAYH program.
Youth Participation and Access Programs
This program assists young people aged 12-25 years by connecting them to their community. Designed for newly arrived refugees, indigenous, same sex attracted young people, those with disabilities and others isolated in some way are given the opportunity to learn skills and participate in a range of valuable social, learning and cultural activities.
For more information on this program, contact Sandra at the St Albans office on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday each week on 8312 8800.
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