A Roof For Our Youth
We are facing unprecedented levels of youth homelessness in the Barossa. The most vulnerable in our community are in need of help.
With no youth shelter in the Barossa, we are seeing a worrying increase in the number of children presenting homeless, sleeping rough and in cars to seek refuge from their disadvantaged home lives.
We knew of at least forty-four children who were homeless in the Barossa prior to the pandemic. This number has now increased significantly, with children as young as eight years old presenting as homeless to Centacare.
Foundation Barossa has partnered with Kids Under Cover, Centacare Youth Homelessness Barossa and Homburg Real Estate to provide a solution to prevent youth homelessness.
Centacare provides case management, early intervention, outreach, post-crisis, and wait-list support to young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Kids under Cover runs an innovative, evidence-based studio program that provides secure and stable accommodation for young people at risk of homelessness.
Homburg Real Estate became a program sponsor in 2021, donating funds for every property sold and rented in the Barossa. To date Homburg has donated over $70,000 to the appeal.
Homelessness Prevention Studios
Foundation Barossa’s A Roof For Our Youth initiative aims to shed a light on the reality of youth homelessness and the solutions available to families, children and teens.
There is a misconception that young people experience homelessness by choice, but the reality is often very different. For at-risk young people, their lives have become emotionally and often physically unbearable. Their home life may be impacted by the disadvantage of poverty, neglect, abuse, unemployment, substance abuse, health issues, disability, and mental illness.
Kids under Cover’s studios provide a stable space for a young person to recover and grow while keeping them connected to their family, and reducing the risk of them being forced to leave home prematurely. The relocatable one or two-bedroom (with bathroom) studios are installed in the backyard of the family or carer’s home, and each studio is used to prevent homelessness for an average of four children. The extra space relieves overcrowding, eases tensions, and provides young people with a secure and stable place, giving at risk young people the room to recover and develop.
Once the studio is no longer required, it is relocated to accommodate another young person in need.
We built the first studio in 2022 for a great-grandmother, Margo, in Nuriootpa, who had taken in her four great grandson’s. Read more of her story in the Barossa Mag.
With the combination of funds raised and State Government funding, we have funds for another 7 of these studios. This appeal starts the transformational process of ensuring no young person should have to experience homelessness in the Barossa.
Application Process
- Centacare Youth Homeless service in the Barossa work directly with the young person to provide them with their social support needs.
- Through this work, the social worker will determine if a Kids Under Cover studio, combined with the existing support, will be the best solution to address the young person’s risk of homelessness.
- The social worker makes the application to us on behalf of the young person.
- The application is then assessed against Kids Under Cover’s priority matrix.
- The social worker will be notified of the outcome of the application.
- If the application is approved and funding has been allocated, Kids Under Cover will work in partnership with builders, local councils, the social worker and the family to start planning for the Studio installation.
- After completion, Kids Under Cover is responsible for any ongoing maintenance of the studio.
- When the studio is no longer needed by the family, it is dismantled and moved to another family in need. Studios last around 15 years and can be relocated up to four times.
To apply, contact Centacare by emailing nuriootpa@centacare.org.au or calling 08 8303 6625.
Eligibility
- Demonstrated risk of homelessness.
- Aged between 12-25 years.
Further Details
Each studio provides a stable space for a young person to grow and study while keeping them connected to their family and reducing the risk of them being forced to leave home prematurely.
The one or two-bedroom studios (with bathroom) are built in the backyards of homes to assist carers in need of more room to accommodate young people in their care. Studios can be considered for owned property, rented property and Housing SA property.
Once the studio is no longer required, it is relocated to accommodate another young person in need.
Studios are prefabricated, with their entire kit flat-packed with pre-assembled frames and transported via truck to the installation location. Erected and fully fitted within 10 days, they are demountable and able to be flat-packed for relocation up to four times.
There is no cost to the applicant or family. The build and installation of the studio is funded through generous donations from the Homburg Homelessness Fund and government support.
