Staying the Course
For 40 years QYHC has been working alongside youth organisations and young people to elevate their voice and support their work to ensure young people’s needs are met and their perspectives are heard. We’ve been focused on the stories of young people because we’ve walked alongside young people living their lives and experiencing some of the most challenging and confronting experiences and circumstances. Being homeless and young is a life experience none of us want for our own children and we don’t want to accept it for any child or young person in Queensland.
Over the past few years, some hard-fought battles have been won and advocacy, that at times seemed futile, found fertile ground. After decades of doing more and more with less and less, the youth housing and homelessness sector is finally seeing growth. Growth that allows for effective, targeted responses to young people’s diverse needs.
This is significant growth – planned and designed. Now we have the expertise and reams of research to know what is needed and where, we can respond appropriately.
Towards Ending Homelessness for Young Queenslanders and Homes for Queenslanders are initiatives and commitments that are game changers for the Queensland youth housing and homelessness sector and the young people they support and accommodate. These are important investments to begin the much-needed expansion in programs and infrastructure to end youth homelessness.
We cannot overstate the significance of government and our departmental colleagues’ willingness to partner with us and their respect for our advocacy. It’s important to remember advocacy hasn’t always been well received. Being open to critique is a generosity we’ve enjoyed in these relationships.
We are keen to ensure that this standard is expected from hereon in. We are intent on maintaining and building on the status quo to see that advocacy, human rights, and the best interests of young people are 100% prioritised. Policy, programmatic and practice responses need to be based on reliable research and practice expertise. We need to stay the course and continue to build the momentum that is so far seeing whole of system improvements in the opportunities and wellbeing of young people.
Whatever transpires on October 26th, we’re committed to staying the course with the Specialist Youth Homelessness sector for Queensland’s young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Labor Government commitments
Over the past few years, we’ve worked closely with Government and our department colleagues at Department of Housing, and Youth Justice. We’ve appreciated their commitment to youth service providers and young people and look forward to the continued momentum including the ongoing 20% uplift in funding to the youth housing and homelessness sector which has been such a significant improvement.
Labor has committed to continue to fund and work with QYHC to keep delivering what matters for young Queenslanders. The commitments are penned by Labor’s Deputy Premier, Hon. Cameron Dick MP
LNP commitments
We recently had the pleasure of meeting with Shadow Housing Minister, Hon. Tim Mander MP, who has agreed to continue with the important work being undertaken in the youth housing and homelessness space which includes working with us on our plans moving forward to end youth homelessness; funding QYHC, continuing the 20% uplift in funding to the sector and all other commitments currently in place. He reiterated the LNPs focus on building up CHPs.
GREENS commitments
The Greens penned their own commitment to QYHC and young people and homelessness. They will continue to work with QYHC and double our funding to bring us in line with our NSW counterparts. They have committed to the 20% uplift and all QYHC’s plans to end youth homelessness moving forward.
