Pictured: Youth Futures WA’s homelessness services offers holistic and wrap-around support to young people facing and experiencing homelessness.
Our ‘whole of community’ approach creates change for those in need
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Corporate collaborations help create new homes
For people who have experienced homelessness and faced intersectional challenges like domestic violence, family breakdowns, financial insecurity, and mental ill-health, finally accessing stable housing can be life changing. But it is also extremely stressful, challenging and costly, with a real risk of re-entering homelessness due to debt.
Moving into and setting up a new home requires a financial investment that people leaving homelessness just can’t afford. Up-front costs of making a house liveable with furniture, bedding, food, and appliances are unavoidable. In addition, grassroots homelessness services struggle to access flexible brokerage that allows them to support households into successful tenancies.
Our Making-a-Home initiative allows people to be fully supported as they exit homelessness, creating new havens of safety and independence. Setting up homes with household essentials not only ends homelessness for people in need but helps to prevent debt and a re-experience.
Collective contributions from our corporate partners have enabled us to provide $26,750 in housing and tenancy support across 5 Capital cities, helping end and prevent homelessness for 31 households.
| Making-a-Home Grants December 2023 | Region | Grant $ |
| Dawn House | Darwin | $5,350.00 |
| Kara House | Melbourne | $5,350.00 |
| Twenty 10 | Sydney | $5,350.00 |
| YFS – Logan Zero Project | Brisbane | $5,350.00 |
| Youth Futures WA | Perth | $5,350.00 |
| Total | $26,750.00 |
”Many clients are having difficulties in accessing private rental due to limited availability but also because rent is at record levels. This means it is challenging for clients to come up with all the bond and rent in advance, as well as connect utilities, pay for removalists fees, or afford essential goods to make their home liveable (eg white goods).
Dawn House in Darwin (on Larrakia Country)
“Young people experiencing homelessness do not have access to the funds required to set up a new home once they are offered housing or a private rental. With many having young children themselves, this grant will go a long way in creating stability and a homely environment for disadvantaged young families”– Youth Futures WA in Perth (on Whadjuk Noongar Country)
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Twenty10 (Facebook)
“Logan Zero is a Local Ending Homelessness Campaign and through outreach, we identify those experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, supporting those most vulnerable into housing. The funds from this grant will help us end people’s homelessness meeting upfront costs that households have difficulties meeting such as rents, utilities, and furniture.” – Logan Zero in Brisbane (on Turrbal Country)
Youth Futures WA (Facebook)
.Housing right now is a very difficult space for young people generally, and our clients are navigating a society that places so many barriers for them to feel accepted and affirmed. These funds will mean our LGBTQIA+ young people who are escaping family violence and experiencing poor mental health can truly create a safe and supportive home to call their own.” – Twenty10 in Sydney (on Gadigal Country)
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YFS team members (Facebook)
”“For women who have been impacted by family violence finding stability and establishing a home for themselves and their children can be particularly stressful and costly. This grant will ease the pain of setting up from scratch, helping buy white goods and furniture as they establish themselves in new homes of safety and security.”
Kara Family Violence Service in Melbourne (On Wiradjuri Country)
Corporate fundraising helps respond to homelessness in Brisbane
The generosity of Minter Ellison staff and all who took part in their Trivia Night has enabled StreetSmart to respond to the growing homelessness crisis in Brisbane. Donations on the night have provided vital funding for grassroots community responses to the growing need including housing support, food relief, rough sleeper outreach, and emergency aid.
This support has come at a critical time for vulnerable people in need as the cost of living and housing crisis push those on the margins into crisis. Homelessness rates in QLD are 4 times higher than the national average, with an increase of 22% in the last 4 years alone. Specialist Homelessness Service data tells us that on average, over 11,000 people are seeking support each day in QLD, 30% who have experienced Domestic and family violence and 38% who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
Minter Ellison has helped provide $15,000 in flexible funding for grassroots services local to the Brisbane area, supporting 170 people facing and experiencing homelessness.
| Organisation | Grant | Impact |
| Footprints | $3,750.00 | Homelessness Outreach, Shower, and Laundry |
| Dig In | $3,750.00 | Food Relief |
| Murri Watch | $3,750.00 | Indigenous Supported Accommodation |
| Open Doors | $3,750.00 | LGBTIQA+ Housing Support and Emergency relief |
| Total | $15,00.00 |
“We are so grateful for this generous grant. With the rising cost of living, we are seeing an increase in the number of patrons who are utilising our service each week so all funds will be put towards kitchen equipment such as utensils, cleaning products and gloves, aprons, and trays.” – Dig In in Brisbane (on Turrbal Country)
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Footprints Community (Facebook)
“Thanks to you, we will be able to support young 18-24 year old LGBTI people who are homeless to access emergency accommodation, emergency food and clothing supplies and assistance with transportation costs to get to and from appointments. We are so very grateful for the opportunity.” – Open Doors Youth Service in Brisbane (On Turrbal Country)
Dig In: (Facebook)
“The grant will support the purchase of emergency food, clothes and hygiene products for individuals experiencing homelessness and accessing our Step Up Step Out (SUSO) Homelessness Bus. It has supported over 900 individuals between January to June 2023″ – Footprints Community in Brisbane (on Turrbal Country)
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”Your generous contribution will enable us to assist our clients with brokerage money for them to purchase items that they cannot afford i.e. Go-cards, clothing, and other necessities. We are grateful and thankful for your support and kindness to our Homelessness Program that provides a service to the most vulnerable people in our community
Murri Watch
These community grants have been made possible through our corporate partnerships. If you are interested in the social impact that your business could create, for people facing homelessness, get in touch with us!
Email – partners@streetsmartaustralia.org
