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June 2025
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Young and Alone
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Youth Homelessness Matters Everyday
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The Young and Alone themed Campaign commenced this week and will run until Homelessness Week 2025. This is a campaign aimed to increase community awareness of youth homelessness across Australia. The Property Industry Foundation (PIF) sponsored the Youth Homelessness Matters Day committee led by Yfoundations to create the campaign. PIF’s generosity, Yfoundation’s leadership and the $2.5 million in probono advertising expertise has led to a poignant campaign bringing the facts of youth homelessness and the associated trauma to the attention of the Australian public.
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You can watch the Young and Alone video below:
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Don’t forget to share it far and wide.
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You can access more details on the campaign here.
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Specialist Youth Homelessness Services can still sign up to receive donations.
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See our 'In the News' section at the bottom of the newsletter for a sample of the many recent news articles that Young and Alone and Yfoundations have featured in.
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Queensland Budget 2025-2026
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A few budget highlights included Treasurer Janetzki’s announcement of the 3.81% indexation rate. Also, almost $600 million in new funding was announced for homelessness. It's great news for the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) with the 20 per cent uplift in funding for SHS locked in for the next four years, a funding boost of $209 million.
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$380.1 million over 5 years inclusive of 2024-25, to deliver crisis accommodation initiatives and support the delivery of frontline housing and homelessness services. $152.6 million in the 2025-2026 financial year will ensure crisis accommodation meets the needs of our most vulnerable through Headlease arrangements and Immediate Housing Relief.
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Queensland’s Treasurer David Janetzki said the budget lays the foundation to deliver 2000 new social and community homes a year by 2028, on way to the target of 53,500 new social homes by 2044.
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QYHC offers huge thanks to Minister O’Connor and the Queensland government for committing to our funding for another year. We’re delighted to be part of the government’s $3.1 million commitment to housing and homelessness peak bodies.
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National Homelessness Conference
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QYHC was pleased to be an official supporter of the National Homelessness Conference. A huge congratulations to Homelessness Australia and Homelessness Queensland on an event rich in knowledge sharing, meaningful conversations and motivating calls to action.
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Powerful keynote speeches including those from Anke Jansen, Co-Founder and CEO, Housing First Nederland and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Queensland (ATSIHQ) CEO Neil Willmett, challenged us to think differently, face hard truths, and commit to genuine collaboration through integrated, person-centred approaches.
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It was great to hear from our Minister for Housing, Public Works and Youth, Hon Sam O’Connor who announced the $600M funding package including the ongoing funding for the Specialist Homelessness Services’ 20% uplift alongside additional funding for crisis accommodation. He spoke to the importance of quality programs, investment in homelessness and enhancing sector capacity.
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There were many inspiring take home messages, a few of which we note below:
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The simple question from worker Sam Tsemberis that began a Housing First revolution.
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A “I need a home of my own”.
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A house/home provides the stability from which all support can be accessed. It is the key criteria for wellness and wellbeing.
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Housing is a human right and needs to be recognised as such across policy, legislation and practice.
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Only together can we solve homelessness. There will be resistance. Speaking up for humanity and dignity will lead the way in ending homelessness.
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“Homelessness is a deadly as cancer” - Marcel Levi.
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“It takes courage, hard work and perseverance to adopt Housing First” - Anke Jansen.
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We need to do what’s needed, not necessarily what we’ve always done.
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At the National Homelessness Conference, QYHC joined with Yfoundations in two youth focused workshops. The first, 'From Early Intervention to Long Term Housing - What’s needed along the way', focused on models of housing and support for young people across Australia, outlining what’s in place alongside aspirational options. Place based responses with a variety of accommodation and support options that recognise the diverse needs of young people were discussed.
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The second workshop, 'The case for ensuring youth homelessness as a national priority', builds on the national campaign for a national youth housing and homelessness strategy. Why now? The time is right.
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QYHC and Yfoundations will take the learnings from this workshop and continue to work with colleagues across states and territories to progress this piece of work prior to presenting it to Federal Homelessness Minister, Hon Clare O’Neill.
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You can sign the YFoundation petition for a child and youth homelessness strategy here.
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NAIDOC Week 2025
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National NAIDOC Week celebrations will be held from 6th to 13th July to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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In 2025, NAIDOC Week celebrates a significant milestone - 50 years of honouring and uplifting Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience. This year’s theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” honours both the remarkable achievements of the past and the promise of the future, driven by the strength of emerging young leaders, the vision within our communities, and the enduring legacy of our ancestors.
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You can show your support and connect with local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities by taking part in events and activities happening nationwide.
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24/7 Intake and support ISAs
for young people
Five Immediate Supported Accommodation (ISA) services are available to enhance service delivery and address regional needs. These feature 24/7 on-site support with two workers at peak service times and 24/7 intake services for improved accessibility.
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These programs are located in the regions of Cairns, Logan, Mount Isa, Moreton Bay, and Rockhampton. In Cairns, where two ISAs operate, each site continues to have a single overnight worker and does not offer 24/7 intake services.
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Young people can contact these services for support at any time on the numbers below:
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- Insync Beenleigh, Anglicare SQ:
(07) 3386 2000
- Mithangkaya Nguli - Young People Ahead - Mt Isa: (07) 4749 0840
- Darumbul – Rockhampton: (07) 4927 5715
- IFYS – Caboolture: (07) 3888 9355
Mobile: 0422 003 971
- Anglicare North Queensland, Cairns:
St Margaret’s – (07) 4033 2678;
St John’s – (07) 4032 4971
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Important Housing Products for Young People
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Youth Subsidy for CHPs
The Youth Subsidy is available for registered community housing providers to find more opportunities for young people to move out of crisis accommodation into long-term, stable housing.
Read more about the Youth Subsidy here.
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You can read more updates here.
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Youth Essentials
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Youth Housing Essentials supports young people transitioning from government services. It offers tailored brokerage assistance of up to $5,000 per household to address their essential housing needs. It provides access to essential goods and services such as: furniture, white goods, education or work necessities. To access, a young person must be supported by a service provider, support agency or Housing Service. Find out more here.
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Renters Relief Package
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The Renters Relief Package has expanded eligibility for a range of products and services to help customers find and apply for a place to rent, help to get a rental, and help to keep their place if they’re having financial difficulties.
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- For more information visit The QLD government website here
- Or get in touch with your local Housing Service Centre Contact here
- People who need housing help can go to qld.gov.au/housinghelp, call 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or the Homeless Hotline on 1800 474 753.  
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Managing Young Tenants
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This resource provides a deeper understanding of working with young tenants, to assist property managers in feeling more equipped and confident in their work with young people. It includes trauma-informed and mental health aware tenancy management as well as available subsidies and support services. Read more here.
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Open Doors celebrated 25 years of supporting LGBTIQA+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy young people by expanding its support services. It continues to be Queensland’s sole youth service specifically for LGBTIQ+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy communities.
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Ruby’s Reunification Program supports young people and their families to rebuild relationships and stay connected, with the aim to prevent involvement in the child protection and homelessness systems. The program offers short-term, home-like accommodation where families can take a break and focus on reuniting. There is a 4 bed property in North Brisbane and another on the Southside.
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Bright Futures National Symposium
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The Daniel Morcombe Foundation is holding a National Symposium on the Sunshine Coast -
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From neighbourhoods to devices: Contextual prevention in action
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For information on the Symposium, including the overview and presenters, please click here.
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Tickets are available here.
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Sense Youth Mentoring
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The Sense Youth Mentoring Program is going strong in 2025, with places now available for young people aged 14–17 in the Northside group (meeting monthly in Enoggera). The program is free and includes transport, food, and activities. In May, participants enjoyed a weekend at Sense Camp on Bribie Island, featuring activities like Beach Olympics, art, and goal setting. Referrals are open year-round.
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Find the flyer here and referral form here.
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Celebrating Young Carers
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Young Carers 25 years or under who support or are impacted by someone they consider family with a disability, illness, addiction, or frail age can engage in the Queensland Winter Young Carer School Holiday program. This includes a trip to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. All activities are free. Find out more here.
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Specialist Counselling
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Living Authentically Counselling provides LGBTQIA+ and neuro-divergent affirming counselling services for anyone aged 16+ seeking support with sexuality, gender identity and expression. Services are available Australia-wide through telehealth, with discounted rates and flexible appointment times.
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A welcome minimum wage boost
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This month we saw a boost to the minimum wage of 3.5%. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) announced the results of the 2025 Annual Wage Review - all modern award minimum wage rates are to be increased by 3.5 per cent, effective from 1 July 2025.
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The new national minimum wage will be $24.95 per hour for full-time workers, or $948 per week, based on a 38-hour week.
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This is a small but vital step in the many measures required to alleviate poverty, especially for young people who face multiple barriers due to their age and earning capacity.
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Cyber Safety
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ThinkUKnow Australia provides guidance on how to stay safe and seek help via free online safety presentations for parents, carers, educators, and students. Delivered by law enforcement and industry volunteers, the sessions cover online risks such as grooming, privacy, and sexual exploitation. Request a presentation here.
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Free activities in Brisbane
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Visible has a range of free activities available for young people aged 12 to 25 years.
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What changed in tenancy law on May 1st?
Changes to tenancy law were passed by Queensland Parliament on 23 May 2024 and will impact your tenancy or rooming agreement under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (‘the Act’). Some of the changes commenced on 6 June 2024 and 30 September 2024, while other changes are commencing on 1 May 2025.
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A quick snapshot of the key changes starting from 1 May 2025 is available here.
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Download fact sheet here.
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Commission of Inquiry into Child Safety System
On 18 May 2025, the Queensland Government announced a Commission of Inquiry into Queensland’s child safety system. The Commission will investigate systemic issues within the state's child safety system and aims to uncover failures and recommend reforms to better protect vulnerable children.
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The Commission will commence on 1 July 2025 and submit a final report to Government by 30 November 2026. It may also make interim reports. It will be led by Paul Anastassiou KC, a former Federal Court Judge and member of the Victorian Bar.
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REPORTS, ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS
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Rewriting the playbook
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What happens when healthcare teams up
with housing?
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This new AHURI research looks at the lessons learned from collaborations between health and homelessness services during COVID-19. The report identifies how the sectors could continue to work together moving forward.
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A key lesson is that health agencies and services must take an active role in addressing homelessness as an urgent and ongoing public health crisis - not just as a social issue,’ says Dr Chris Hartley, lead researcher from The University of New South Wales. Read the report here.
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Anglicare Rental
Affordability Snapshot
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This annual snapshot, released in April demonstrates that Australians are facing a dire rental market particularly so for young people. The 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed rental listings across Australia and found that affordability has crashed to record lows. The Snapshot surveyed 51,238 rental listings across Australia and found that:
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- 352 rentals (0.7%) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage
- 165 rentals (0.3%) were affordable for a person on the Age Pension
- 28 rentals (0.1%) were affordable for a person on the Disability Support Pension
- 3 rentals (0%), all rooms in sharehouses, were affordable for a person on JobSeeker
- No rentals were affordable for a person on Youth Allowance.
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When governments reshuffle, housing policy can suffer. Here’s how to keep housing policy on track
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While some Australian departments, such as Defence, have remained stable for a long time, responsibility for housing policy has often shifted between various departments across the federal and state governments. These changes lead to fragmented and fractured housing policy, despite strong and ongoing debates about housing policy.
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Building a secure future for
children and young people
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The Australian Children’s Wellbeing Index, developed by ARACY and UNICEF Australia in 2021, is the nation’s first comprehensive tool for tracking child wellbeing across six interconnected domains of ARACY’s Nest framework.
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Aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Index offers a holistic view of how children are faring in areas such as health, education, safety, identity, and participation. It explores how feeling loved, supported and secure contributes to strong identity, relationships, and safety—while recognising that not all children have these experiences. Many face structural disadvantage, violence, or neglect, leading to long-term negative outcomes.
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Download the report here.
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Rethinking Social Housing
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Rising living costs and rents in Australia are increasing demand for social housing, but supply isn’t keeping up. From 2016 to 2022, waitlists grew by over 26,000 households while fewer people gained access. New AHURI research urges both expanding and rethinking how social housing is provided, especially for vulnerable groups. Read the report here.
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Renters Report
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Almost seven in ten people who rent privately are concerned that requesting repairs could result in a rent increase, according to research by the ACOSS-UNSW Sydney-led Poverty and Inequality Partnership, National Shelter and the National Association of Renter Organisations (NARO).
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The use of intimate partner violence among Australian men
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According to the Ten to Men survey, over 35% of Australian men aged 18–65 have engaged in intimate partner violence at some point in their lives. The study investigates contributing factors—such as the quality of father-son relationships—that may influence the likelihood of such behaviour. It recommends policies that promote integrated mental health care, foster social support networks, and support men in becoming positive, involved fathers. Read more here.
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Relationships Matter Webinar
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Storytelling is at the heart of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. For tens of thousands of years, the practice has sustained communities, nurtured relationships and highlighted the interconnectedness of child, family and community. Although Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and caregivers have many stories of resilience, in a practice setting the space to share and reflect on these stories doesn’t always exist. The ability to create this space is crucial to working with these families.
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This strategy outlines a comprehensive approach involving the entire government and community to incorporate trauma-informed practices throughout Queensland. Over the next five years, it aims to foster optimal conditions for individuals, families, caregivers, and communities to access the right support as early as possible. Read here.
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This resource explores the research evidence on how fathers’ engagement can influence their children’s mental health. It explores the effects of fathers’ warm and responsive parenting on their children’s mental health. This resource also provides insights into how practitioners and services can support fathers to display more warm and responsive behaviours to promote positive mental health in their children.
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You can read the article here.
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Is your organisation Child Safe?
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Every child has the right to feel and be safe at all times. Safety requires active effort. The implementation of child safe standards is happening across Queensland – dates are highlighted in the image. Find out more here.
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RESOURCES AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on what works in social and emotional wellbeing programs - March, 2025
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Social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) is a holistic concept that is the foundation for mental and physical health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It recognises the importance of connection to Country, culture, spirituality and ancestry. This paper summarises the evidence on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s experiences of a range of diverse programs and looks at what the success factors were for participants in these programs. The paper provides some considerations for practitioners and other professionals.
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Changing the picture: A national resource to support the prevention of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children.
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Download the resource here.
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Upcoming webinar: 'Supporting client change with motivational interviewing' - Friday 4 July, 11:00am
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Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based treatment approach used in alcohol and other drug (AOD) settings to help individuals strengthen their motivation and commitment to change. This webinar aims to deepen participants’ understanding of the Transtheoretical Model of Change and build awareness of when MI is most effective. It will also explore the spirit and principles of MI and provide an overview of its core communication skills.
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To register for the webinar, click here.
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Understanding age of consent
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This guide outlines the legal age of consent across all Australian states and territories. It also addresses frequently asked questions to assist practitioners.
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New resources from WellMob
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Wellmob has launched a new "Workplace Wellbeing Resource Sheet" aimed at supporting workers and promoting culturally safe workplaces. This resource provides a curated selection of links to practical tools and guidance on various topics, including self-care at work, managing cultural load, racism, addressing isolation, and preventing black burnout. Access resources here.
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The Elephant in the Room
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Elephant Ed’s vision is to build a world where every individual is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to make informed, healthy, and respectful decisions about consent, relationships, and sexuality. Student workshops, Staff PD and Parent Webinars are available. Find more here.
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Good for Good Community Grants
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Eligible not-for-profit organisations in Queensland can apply for grants of up to $30,000 to fund community-focused projects that improve people's lives. The initiative supports practical programs that help individuals participate, connect, grow, learn, and feel safe. Applications close 31 August 2025. Apply here.
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Australia Post Community Grants
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Grants up to $10,000 are available to support community-led, local projects that connect individuals and communities to improve mental health and wellbeing. Applications close on 7 July 2025.
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GCBF Funding Rounds 2025
Two Gambling Community Benefit Fund rounds remain:
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- Round 124: $100,000 Super Round closing 18 July
- Round 125: $35,000 Standard Grant - opening mid-September and closing 31 October
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Find more information here.
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2025 Women & Change Grants
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Eligible charities can apply for funding for Queensland-based projects that significantly improve the quality of life for disadvantaged and vulnerable Queenslanders. This grant is for $50,000. The application process consists of two steps:
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- An Expression of Interest round, closing on 25 July 2025.
- A full application by invitation only for shortlisted applicants closing on 12 September 2025.
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Dylan Alcott Foundation Grants
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Young Australians (26 years or under) living with disability can apply for grants to support personal, professional, vocational, or sporting goals. Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents. The funding aims to boost confidence, unlock potential, and help them achieve their dreams.
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Applications are accepted all year round.
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Young and Alone Campaign news
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