Home Time x For Change Co. Launch

This month, the Home Time campaign focussed on engaging the Australian community around youth homelessness and the steps required to fix housing for young people. 

We hosted a joint event with local social enterprise For Change Co. in Melbourne at For Change Co.'s Middle Park Cafe. The purpose of this collaboration was to create opportunities for young people with the lived experience of homelessness to advocate with the community and decision makers for systemic change.

Before a crowd of youth advocates and representatives from the homelessness, housing and social enterprise sectors, Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness, and local member, Josh Burns joined a panel of young advocates to discuss the systemic policy reform needed to fix housing for young people in Australia. 

Above: Cassie Buttigieg (Director, For Change Co.), Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness Josh Burns MP, Roy Chen (Home Time advocate)

We are so thankful to Home Time advocate Roy and For Change Co. Director Cassie for sharing their lived expertise with attendees, and for sparking a conversation about the urgent need for action.

Both Roy and Cassie asked bold questions of Josh, seeking clarification of his ambitions and his commitments to both listen to young people and translate their experiences into real action. We were thrilled for our young advocates when Josh made a commitment to work with young people and seek their advice, during his next term.

Josh was also pressed for a commitment around ensuring young people with nowhere to live will also benefit from the billions of dollars of federal investment in social housing promised, and reiterated his acknowledgement of the need for dedicated tenancies to address the systemic issues surrounding youth housing in Australia.

Shorna Moore (Home Time representative) and Miranda Campbell (CEO, For Change Co.) spoke to The Wire about the event. In this radio interview, Shorna and Miranda raise awareness of the issue of youth homelessness and stress the need for systemic reform. Listen to the interview here.

Thank you to all who attended, it was truly a fabulous event!