Youth Development

Every young person deserves a safe and secure home to grow up in.

Anchor’s integrated approach addresses often complex needs and circumstances so that young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, can learn, develop and thrive. We are always looking for new initiatives to support young people and offer a range of services including:

Accommodation support for youth based on the Foyer model (16-21 years of age)
Private rental brokerage to assist with living independently (up to 25 years of age)
Support for young families (18-25 years of age)
Family reconciliation services

More information about these services are below. If you need support, you can contact us via info@anchor.org.au or call 03 9738 7003.

Services for youth and families

We help find different types of accommodation and support for people including families with young children, youth that sleep rough, and youth who couch surf and are at risk of homelessness.

Our approach is based on the Foyer model, which integrates housing assistance with other support services, education, employment and life skills. By equipping people with the tools to stay on track for the long-term, we’re working to break the cycle of disadvantage.

The most dominant form of homelessness for young Australians is couch surfing, where young people move between the homes of their friends, acquaintances or family members, without any real security of tenure and in a constant search for the next place to stay.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the Youth Foyer program you must be:

Aged 16-21 years
Homeless or at risk of homelessness
In education or wanting to engage in education
Have an independent income.

To enquire about our program please contact us.

If you are young person who would like to apply directly, please complete the Readiness application form.

If you are an organisation referring a young person on their behalf, please complete the Lilydale youth foyer referral form.

LP’s Story

‘I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Anchor.’

‘LP’ left the family home due to relationship breakdown. When he was 16 he entered one of our foyer like properties where he learnt the life skills he needed to live independently.

During the time LP was with Anchor he completed a traineeship and has been in regular employment for over four years. We also helped him source funding for driving lessons and obtain his driving licence.

Family Reconciliation

Our family reconciliation program provides counselling for families with young people between the ages of 15-25 years to resolve present and past conflict. We work alongside families to rebuild relationships through regular therapy sessions.

Private Rental Brokerage

The Private Rental Brokerage Program is a Creating Connection program which is funded by the State Government under the Youth Housing Action Plan 2.

The PRBP aims to support young people who are ready to live independently in a share-house or private tenancy. The PRBP can assist young people with their applications for private rental tenancies (including subletting share-house options), understanding their rights and responsibilities in regards to private rental tenancies, budgeting and brokerage toward rent in advance or whitegoods/ essential household goods to establish a tenancy.

Eligibility

To be eligible for PRB you must meet the following criteria:

Young person aged 16 to 25 years of age in the Eastern Metropolitan region
Linked in with a key support worker with proven engagement and meeting case plan goals
Are at-risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness.

If you wish to apply for Private Rental Brokerage, you can download the application form.

The Private Rental Brokerage Program is managed by Family Access Network (FAN) and Anchor Inc.

Support for Young Families

Anchor offers the Support for Young Families Program for single mothers (18 to 25 years old) and their children. This accommodation program supports women, giving them the chance to change their life trajectory, while raising their babies and young children in a safe, stable and nurturing environment.

This program has given me the amazing opportunity to live independently and raise my daughter, while providing such a warm and friendly environment that I love being a part of!

K, Support for Young Families tenant

Breakpoint - Research Results

30%

first ran away during primary school

71%

first left home due to family conflict

50%

never considered themselves homeless when staying with others short-term

The Couch Surfing Secondary Students (CSSS): Yarra Ranges Youth Homelessness Prevention Project – a joint research partnership between Anchor, the Outer Eastern Local Learning and Employment Network, Swinburne University and the University of Western Australia Centre for Social Impact.

Brighter Futures

Brighter Futures Outer East connects young people who have experienced out-of-home care with community members who support their goals.

We are proud to be the lead agency for this pilot, working alongside key partners including CREATE Foundation and the Brotherhood of St Laurence, plus over 30 local businesses and groups. Our diverse group of community partners are making important connections across Knox, Maroondah and Yarra Ranges council areas.

Brighter Futures has shown our approach works for young people in addition to enriching local communities through greater social inclusion, intergenerational contact and participation. We’re creating a new blueprint for supporting young people leaving out-of-home care.

For more information, please refer to the Brighter Futures Outer East website.