Within our Youth Outreach Recovery Support (YORS) program, young people aged 16–25 who identify housing as one of their goals are supported in connecting with services, navigating the rental market, getting on waiting lists, and safely finding housemates. Over the past three years, the five Victorian organisations that deliver YORS have supported 2600 young people.
When 20-year-old Felix* first got in touch with the YORS team, he said he was feeling “unsafe, isolated, and uncertain of the future.” He was new to Melbourne and navigating multiple health conditions. Felix had experienced homelessness in the past, and he was now living in unstable housing, all while working towards his Diploma in Legal Studies.
When the YORS team met Amelia*, she was living in a home of emotional family violence. Although she wanted to move out, her health prevented her from initiating the process. She didn’t know where to start.
YORS encourages and supports young people to identify what they value and set goals to improve their mental health. Felix and Amelia both wanted a place to call home where they could build connections with a community and improve their health and wellbeing.
“In the YORS program, we walk alongside our young people, using their personal strengths and values to support them in working towards what matters to them,” says Peter Shortis, Senior Youth Outreach Mental Health & Wellbeing Coach in the program.
Across several outreach sessions, Felix and Peter developed an application for and identified a pathway into supportive student accommodation. Here, he was encouraged and mentored not only to complete his studies but also to get involved in student life and make connections with his fellow students.
Amelia* needed practical support with finding a home. She didn’t know what to do first or what to consider. Her YORS support worker showed her how to use websites to find potential sharehouses and spoke with her about safety, what things she needed to be comfortable in a shared house, and her rights as a tenant. Together, they made a checklist of the things she would need to include in an application, and they practised what she might say during an interview with potential housemates.
Once Amelia had secured a place to live, her support worker even helped her move in. After she was settled in her new place, Amelia reflected that she felt “grateful and so happy.”
“When young people have secure and safe housing, they have the foundation to focus on recovery, connection, and hope for the future,” says Peter. “Every young person deserves the chance to build a happy and fulfilling life.”
* For privacy reasons, we have not used real names for the young people in YORS.
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