City survey provides new insights in youth homelessness
28 August 2008
Six years ago, the city’s largest youth homelessness service faced imminent closure, crippled by commercial rates of rent in the CBD. This week, King Street drop-in centre ‘Frontyard’ marked a major milestone, as its 15,000th client walked through the door.
Frontyard manager Sherri Bruinhout said 19-year-old Emma, who turned up to Frontyard at 12.15pm yesterday, moved to Melbourne from country Victoria, seeking study and work opportunities.
“Like many young people, Emma found it impossible to secure a safe, affordable private rental property in inner Melbourne. She and her boyfriend had a few unsettling nights sleeping rough in the CBD before coming to Frontyard for help.”
Ms Bruinhout said a new Melbourne Citymission survey found one-in-every-four homeless young Victorian now turns to King Street’s Frontyard service for support.
“Although accommodation is one of the service’s biggest presenting issues – like Emma, 24 per cent of Frontyard’s clients have nowhere to stay that night – many young people seek help for a range of issues.
“So they might turn up looking for accommodation and then mention they’ve got a legal issue that they don’t know how to resolve, that’s causing them great stress. The conversations that take place in our waiting room each day really reinforce that homelessness is much more than ‘rooflessness’.”
Ms Bruinhout said the snapshot survey by Melbourne Citymission also found:
- 29 per cent of young people presenting to Frontyard have no source of income;
- 18 per cent have an acute health issue;
- 9 per cent have an employment or training request;
- 8 per cent have legal issues.
“In most instances, the issues that young people are presenting with are so complex that they can’t be resolved during a one-off meeting or appointment,” Ms Bruinhout said.
“The survey found that the average Frontyard client comes in about six times.
“Once we’ve addressed the immediate crisis, many of these clients are referred to other programs that can provide longer-term support – an exit plan, if you like, from the homelessness system. We’re very focussed on assisting young people to find sustainable pathways out of poverty and disadvantage.”
Ms Bruinhout said given the demand on Frontyard services, it was hard to believe that the centre was just weeks away from closing in 2002.
"At the time, we were struggling to pay commercial rates of rent and to keep the doors open. Fortunately that was averted thanks to a partnership brokered between Melbourne Citymission, Melbourne City Council and the Department of Human Services," Ms Bruinhout said.
“Shutting up shop would have been a complete disaster. We’re one of the few facilities in Australia that brings together accommodation assistance, health care, legal advice, material aid, family mediation, Centrelink access and employment, education and training programs under the one roof.
“If you look at what’s happening in the federal policy arena, Frontyard is the type of model that the Federal Government has canvassed in its Homelessness Green Paper.
“In fact, we had a visit from a member of the Federal Government’s homelessness taskforce earlier this year. Next week, we’re hosting a visit from a NSW Member of Parliament, Judy Hopwood.
“There are eight different services that sit under the ‘Frontyard’ umbrella, but from the young person’s perspective, it’s a one-stop shop where they can access all the services they need.”
ENDS
Contact Information:
Deborah Fewster, Media and Advocacy Adviser, Melbourne Citymission
Mobile 0403 839 427
