A message from our Chief Changemakers

Every door at Youth Projects tells a story of courage, connection, and hope. Whether it’s a young person stepping into a Youth Hub, someone seeking safety and healthcare at The Living Room, or a trainee pouring their first shot of coffee at The Little Social, each moment represents a step toward a better future.

This year has shown us what’s possible when courage, compassion, and innovation come together. Across our Youth Hubs, outreach programs, and social enterprises, thousands of young people have reconnected with education, employment, and community. Every outcome we celebrate, a job secured, a home found, a life stabilised, all reflects the strength of our people and the spirit of our organisation.

Yet the landscape around us is changing fast. Youth unemployment, housing insecurity, and mental ill-health continue to climb, and the systems designed to support young people are stretched to breaking point. These challenges call for more than incremental improvement, they demand re-imagination.

That re-imagination starts here: in how we listen, adapt, and keep showing up for the people who need us most. As we look ahead, Youth Projects will build on its legacy of bold ideas and fearless leadership, continuing to meet challenge with courage and purpose. We’re scaling our place-based hubs to deliver holistic, wraparound support in more communities across Melbourne, while deepening our social procurement partnerships to open lasting employment pathways through our growing social enterprises. And as we grow, we’ll keep using our evidence, our insights, and our voice to influence the systems that shape young people’s lives, because real change at scale requires both action on the ground and advocacy at the table.

Our people are the heartbeat of this organisation. When we invest in them, they bring their best selves to work, leading with empathy, purpose, and courage. It’s their commitment that allows us to see the whole person, not just the problem. To our Chair, Melanie Raymond, and the Board of Directors, thank you for your guidance, wisdom, and belief in our ability to fulfil our mission.

As we move forward, we carry both humility and hope, knowing that real change takes time, but also that it begins with us. Together, we will continue to open doors that change lives, shape systems, and build a fairer, more compassionate future.
Trent Miller, CEO

In the heart of Melbourne, an old black door opens in a heritage listed building that was once a hosiery factory. At the same time, seven brand new doors open across Melbourne western suburbs.

These are the sites where Youth Projects continues to achieve astounding results in turning lives around.

For clients of our service we are we are offering a profound and unique opportunity to overcome the challenges of illness. poverty, exclusion loneliness and fear. In terms of the funding we receive, on the one hand I feel incredible frustration the short-term thinking in relation to the work of the not-for-profit sector, while on the other hand, I am awed by what the whole team at these projects are able to achieve against such unfair odds of success. What you will reading here is evidence-based results of the impact we make. Almost all of our team are frontline workers in touch daily with the impact of a growing divide between the haves, the have nots and the have yachts.

People who are seeking our help are worse off than at any other period in Youth Project’s history. Only about 3% of housing referrals are successful because there is now no housing left to which we can refer clients. The cost of daily living absorbs all of the meagre income anyone has. People are facing an increasingly complex set of barriers that cascade into outcomes of unemployment, illness, poverty and homelessness without help. We are that help. We create life changing impact daily.

We have chosen to add new local initiatives in outreach and social enterprise that strengthen our existing wraparound support services.

Behind the scenes we have our skilled team in corporate services who pay the bills help keep the lights on and keep our team safe as they monitor and track our finances, workplace safety and quality. Everyone at Youth Projects plays an important part of the outstanding results we have achieved. Earlier this year we appointed at our helm, our new chief executive, Trent Miller, who leads a high-performance team dedicated to the well-being of all our clients. Trent’s days are long and his job description is complicated to say the least. We appreciate the talent and energy he shares with the team daily.

As Chair, I am also very fortunate to have an extremely committed Board of Directors working in harmony on our shared mission. Our judgement and decisions matter, and we discharge of governance duties with expertise and passion.

We will miss our long time Deputy Chair, the Honourable Monica Gould, who recently resigned having made a significant contribution to Youth Projects over many years. We will miss her contribution and thank Monica for her diligence and professionalism.

We fully expect the ahead will see more growth and expansion to counter the ongoing challenges of youth unemployment, access to jobs, to housing and to healthcare This makes us all the more determined to make a deep impact for the benefit of all.
Melanie Raymond OAM, Chair, Board of Directors

Every Door Leads to Hope

No matter which door a young person walks through at Youth Projects, they find more than a service. They find people who see them where they’re at, with flexible wraparound support that adapts to their needs and goals. Every door is a pathway to growth, to opportunity, and to hope.

Young people today are navigating some of the most complex barriers we have ever seen. The challenges rarely come one at a time. A young person might be dealing with anxiety and family violence and using alcohol and drugs to cope. Another might be disconnected from education while navigating a disability, or experiencing depression driven by the weight of identity struggles. For some, the reality of homelessness, deepens the challenges they are already facing.

At Youth Projects, we know you can’t separate these issues into neat boxes. They overlap, they intersect, and they can overwhelm the individual without proper support. This is why we see young people as their whole selves, with no judgement.

No matter where they are in their journey, every door at Youth Projects opens into holistic, wraparound support.

Some step into The Living Room seeking health care and crisis support. Many find belonging in one of our five Youth Hubs, building pathways into education and work. And more are now walking through the doors of our social enterprise, The Little Social, gaining their first taste of employment. And for others we drive out to meet them where they’re at, at home, or in an area familiar to them.

Wherever the entry point, the response is the same: care that see’s the individual and not the problem. We walk alongside young people, offering the practical support, compassion, and opportunities they need to survive and thrive.

Every door is different, but every door leads to hope.

Youth Employment

Young people are locked out of work

Youth unemployment continues to sit stubbornly above the general population, with national rates climbing as high as 10.4% in June 2025. Behind this are entrenched challenges: low job availability, fewer entry-level roles, casualised workforce, increased skills requirements and competition with older, more experienced workers.

For many young people, the barriers extend well beyond the labour market. Lack of reliable transport, digital access, or financial resources can make applying for a job feel impossible. Nearly two in three young Australians report living paycheck to paycheck, illustrating how financial precarity forces difficult trade-offs*. Limited work history, long-term disengagement from education or caring responsibilities add to the challenge, whilst some young people are managing disability, mental health or justice system history. Recent data shows 57% of young people aged 12-25 report worsening mental health* . Some young people are experiencing homelessness or relying on temporary accommodation. All these factors intersect to reduce confidence, narrow opportunities and stall momentum.

These systemic barriers explain why more young people are seeking targeted, youth-specific employment support. Our Transition to Work program has seen caseloads rise steadily throughout 2024-25, reflecting both the scale of need and the trust young people are placing on our services.

*(Deloitte, Aug 2025)

Youth Employment: Meeting the Rising Demand

In 2024-25, Youth Projects’ Employment and Training portfolio included Transition to Work, Disability Employment Services and Healthcare Jumpstart. Together, these programs supported more than 3,800 young people, a 40% increase on the previous year, reflecting surging demand for accessible, youth-focused employment support.

Active caseloads rose from 1,616 in July 2024 to 1,854 in May 2025, up 14% overall. Our caseload continues to grow in diversity, with rising participation among gender-diverse young people and 28.8% identifying as culturally and linguistically diverse. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people represent 6.3% of our caseload, over six times the regional average, demonstrating both heightened need and the effectiveness of our culturally safe engagement.

Our young clients are facing complex barriers. One in five participants were long-term unemployed, 29.7% live with disability, almost 10% have identified rough sleeping over the past year and 4.6% have had interactions with the justice system. These intersecting challenges demand trauma-informed, inclusive and highly individualised pathways to work and education.

Across the year, Youth Employment programs achieved 1,256 total placements, including 838 into work and 418 into education, balancing immediate job outcomes with pathways into accredited training and long-term opportunity.

This means that 67% of Youth Projects clients successfully gained employment, well above the Transition to Work national average of 39%.

As demand continues to grow, our results show that evidence-based, person-centred employment support can create measurable and lasting change in young people’s lives.

Strategically Aligning Training with Opportunity

To strengthen the pipeline between skills and jobs, Youth Projects introduced Youth Activities Program Coordinators across Wyndham, Melton and Brimbank. These roles work in partnership with our Recruitment team to focus on delivering pre-employment training in high growth industries, coordinating employer-led experiences, partnering with TAFE’s to design new programs that support young people to transition smoothly into the workforce. We recognise that young people need more than qualifications. They need hands-on preparation, real-world exposure and sustained support to translate skills into jobs.

Building on this foundation, Youth Projects sharpened our focus on the needs of the labour market demand, we have created stronger industry partnerships, achieved higher completion rates, and generated placements that match both your people’s aspirations and employer needs.

An example is our strong results in the transport and warehousing sectors through the delivery of the Certificate III in Supply Chain Operations across Sunshine, Werribee and Melton. With an 80% completion rate, the course embedded practical experiences such as forklift licensing, site tours and direct employer connections, leading to meaningful placements aligned with regional workforce demand.

While logistics, trades and hospitality remain strong performers, we are also building new pathways in the health care sector. A Certificate III in Health Services Assistance is underway in Wyndham with our partner Kangan Institute, with 17 participants preparing for roles at the new Footscray Hospital, alongside 16 participants completing a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care as part of Victoria University’s DICE program.

Together, these efforts of strategic coordination ensure young people are gaining industry-specific skills, and building confidence, networks and the mindset needed to thrive in both work and life. Through Discovery Days and employer-led workshops, young people experience real workplaces, meet potential employers, and being to see themselves as part of the workforce, turning learning into real opportunity.

Real Job Readiness

Alongside industry training and placements, Youth Projects equips young people with the job readiness skills needed to enter the workforce with confidence.

Throughout 2024-25, this approach translated into strong results, with 838 unemployed young people gaining employment.

Beyond their first day

Landing a job or education placement is just the beginning. The first few weeks can be tough…transport falls through, anxiety flares up, or new routines feel overwhelming. Without support, many young people risk dropping out before they’ve had a chance to settle in.

That’s where our In-Work Support comes in. Our team walks alongside young people and employers through this critical period, helping navigate schedules, workplace expectations, and communication, while celebrating every milestone.

In 2024-25, we introduced an In-Work Support Team Leader, adding leadership, consistency and coaching. The results were clear: a record 1,000+ sustained outcomes, peaking at 123 in January, with an 85% performance rate, well above the national Transition to Work average of 77%.

We track where young people struggle most and refine our model continuously, from solving transport barriers to coaching through workplace stress. By going beyond day one, we turn placements into pathways to confidence, stability and long-term success.

Youth Projects have been extremely engaging with me for the recruitment process. They referred some really fantastic clients to us that were eligible for the role.
Nikki, recycle4change

Mia’s Culinary Journey

When Mia* first came to Youth Projects with her mum, she was considering transport and logistics. But in a career chat, her real passion came out. Cooking! She lit up talking about food and already had café experience under her belt.

Together we rebuilt her resume for hospitality and found a chef apprenticeship that felt like a perfect fit. With coaching through the online interview, Mia nailed it. Within days she had an offer.

Before Mia began her apprenticeship in June, we equipped with all the essentials including Police and WWC check, her uniform and a new sense of confidence to thrive. She came back to the youth hub a few days later with boxes of hand-made doughnuts, a sweet thank-you for helping her turn passion into a career.

*name changed

Strength in Our Partnerships

Our partnership with We Are Mobilise continues to demonstrate what’s possible when innovation and compassion meet action. Together, we’re breaking cycles of disadvantage by connecting young people to stable housing, employment and genuine community belonging. Since our partnership began, we’ve delivered $170,000+ in direct support, 80+ months of housing and changed 59 lives through programs like Mobilise Matched and Kickstarter.

From cash incentives that reward progress to housing support that creates stability, these initiatives give young people the breathing room to rebuild their lives. New pilots with Toll and Threesixty Personnel are now opening job pathways for young people with lived experience of homelessness, a model already showing strong results.

For example, one participant supported through Mobilise Kickstarter made the brave decision to leave a violent home, despite having nowhere safe to go. Over the following months, they faced multiple forms of homelessness (couch surging, unsafe accommodation, and nights spent without shelter). Through unwavering resilience and the support of Youth Projects and We Are Mobilise, they were able to secure a stable home and enrol in a training pathway that reignited their sense of purpose. Mobilise Kickstarter funding covered bond and rent assistance, giving them the breathing room to focus on rebuilding their life. Today, they are studying, safe and hopeful about the future, a powerful reminder that stability and opportunity can truly change a life.

Beyond Mobilise, our partnerships with Larita Academy, Melbourne City Mission, and Kangan Institute continue to expand opportunities across leadership, housing, education, employment

empowering hundreds of young people to learn, connect and thrive.

Employment Programs – Return on Investment

At the core of our success lies the financial return for both participants and the broader economy. In just one year, our Employment and Training programs have:

Generated

$25.1 million in new wages from meaningful jobs, empowering young people to contribute to their households, communities, and the economy.

Delivered

$4.14 million in tax revenue back to government, creating a direct and measurable fiscal impact.

Reduced

reliance on income support, saving government $13.9 million in welfare payments that would otherwise be required.

Total Financial Benefits:

annually

For every $1 spent, our Employment Services programs return $4.75 in financial benefits.

But this is just the beginning.

As 63% of our employed young people remain in work over three years, these benefits continue to grow:

$47.6 million

in wages generated across three years.

$7.8 million

in tax contributions from employed young people.

$26.4 million

saved in reduced welfare dependency.

Each job placement is more than a number; it represents a young person’s pathway to independence, confidence, and long-term success.

But where are the jobs?

While Youth Employment programs build the skills, confidence and readiness young people need to step into employment, the reality is that for many, the job market remains out of reach. Across Victoria, casual job listings have dropped by 28% in the past year. This collapse in entry-level roles reflects a broader national trend: apprenticeships, traineeships and casual jobs are in decline, meaning young people miss out on the experience they need to progress. Youth unemployment remains structurally higher as a result, not because young people aren’t willing to work, but because the jobs simply aren’t there.

That’s why Youth Projects invests in social enterprise.

Through The Little Social cafes and catering, we create real, paid opportunities in hospitality, an industry where young people can gain work experience, develop skills and build confidence. Social enterprises play a critical bridging role between training and the wider workforce. They offer supportive hands-on environments where young people can step into responsibility, learn from mentors and experience the routines and expectations of work.

The sector faces its own challenges, with tight margins, rising costs, and high operational demands, but the rewards are clear. Each shift worked, each skill gained, and every young person moving from uncertainty into paid employment demonstrates how social enterprises transform opportunity into lasting impact.

Over the past 12 months…

250K

coffees made

818

catering orders

44

completions of the Here4Hospitality program

22

team members employed

53%

moving into employment or further education

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Coffee with a Purpose

The Little Social cafes continue to grow as a cornerstone of Youth Projects social enterprise model, combining commercial performance with tangible social impact. We now operate three cafes across Melbourne at the Victorian Pride Centre, The Alfred, and as of May 2025, the new site at the Paula Fox Melanoma Cancer Centre in partnership with Alfred Health. The Paula Fox café has already exceeded expectations, with strong daily trade, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff and visitors.

Financially, the cafes are performing above target, with The Little Social achieving 28% year-on-year revenue growth from last year. This was driven by strong performance at The Little Social Alfred and the successful launch of the Paula Fox café. With site-specific growth plans underway, The Little Social cafes are well positioned for sustainable impact and expansion. Social cafes are well positioned for sustainable impact and expansion. In Financial Year 24/25, TLS Catering Co more than doubled the previous year’s results and achieved a 130% year-on-year increase in revenue.

Powering Potential Together

Our partnership with Larita Academy gives young people the chance to build confidence, skills, and real connections with industry leaders, turning potential into opportunity.

This year, Larita Academy also chose The Little Social Catering Co. to fuel their 4-day program, investing $14,000 back into our social enterprise. Over 100 young people were supported and catered for, gaining skills in business, leadership and hands-on experience. It’s a powerful example of circular impact, where opportunities are created and young people thrive.

Hands on Learning with Here4Hospitality

Here4Hospitality is designed to give young people facing disadvantage real-world training, industry experience, and a pathway into work. In FY24/25, the program supported 44 participants surpassing our contracted requirement of 30 and achieving a 100% completion rate.

The impact remains clear. 53% of graduates transitioned into employment or further education at program completion with many young people hired directly into The Little Social cafes. Half of the participants were long-term unemployed before joining, and more than half identified as living with a disability or being early school leavers. Barriers such as difficult family relationships (43%) and unstable housing (23%) also highlight the complexity of the cohort.

Despite these challenges, participants consistently reported feeling safe, supported and motivated, with strong improvements in job search skills and career clarity. Looking ahead, the appointment of a full-time Youth Coach and The Little Social’s expansion into Western Melbourne will strengthen the wraparound support and post-program pathways. Just as importantly, H4H reminds us that young people are rarely facing a single barrier. Employment outcomes improve when we address the whole picture including housing, health, family and confidence.

Beyond Employment

At Youth Projects, we know jobs and training are one piece of the puzzle. Young people can’t focus on work or study if they’re worried about where they’ll sleep, their mental health or challenges at home.

Our Youth Outreach Teams provide unique trauma-informed, wraparound support that sees the whole person, not just their challenges. We walk alongside young people to uncover root causes, intervene earlier, prevent problems from escalating and build lasting pathways forward.

Whether at a youth hub, or a safe, familiar space in the community, young people facing multiple barriers (long-term unemployment, disability, justice involvement, housing instability, substance use or mental health challenges) can access the care they need to thrive.

In 2024-25, more than 300 young people were supported by Youth Outreach across the northern and western regions of Melbourne. The work was shaped by one clear principle:

Every young person deserves to feel safe, supported and hopeful about their future.

What young people are facing in 2025

Young people in 2025 are navigating a very different world, even to five years ago. Rising costs of living, entrenched housing shortages, and systemic inequities have left many feeling uncertain, isolated and “left behind”.

Mental health remains the top personal concern for young people.

(Mission Australia Youth Survey 2024)

Since 2018, rates of anxiety and depression have risen by 47%.

(ABS)

Almost one in ten young people (15-19 years old) experienced homelessness in the past year.

(Mission Australia Youth Survey 2023)

Youth in Melbourne’s growing outer west face enormous geographical disadvantage. Transport as a barrier to social and economic progress is now one of the most serious challenges they face due to lack of public transport infrastructure.

LGBTQIA+ young people (14- 21 years old) continue to experience disproportionately high rates of distress, with 58.1% considering suicide in the past year.

(Writing Themselves In 4, 2023 Survey)

Our own surveys echoed these findings. More than 550 young people told us that financial instability, housing instability and poor mental health were the biggest barriers holding them back. Yet they also shared what they wanted most: purpose, connection and hope.

Meeting Young People Where They’re At … Literally

In 2024-25, Youth Outreach delivered critical support across multiple life domains:

REFERRALS RECEIVED
with the strongest pathways from mental health services, community groups and self-referrals.

CASE FILES OPENED WITH 322 CLIENTS SUPPORTED with a strong focus on younger cohorts (30% were under 16 years old).

OF CLIENTS CLOSED SUCCESSFULLY, which means they achieved two or more personal goals.

More than

targeted external referrals were made,

linking young people into long-term supports like mental health services, housing pathways, GPs and education providers.

Top goals achieved included:

Improved mental health

Increased independence

Greater confidence and motivation

Stronger social connections

And links to education and employment pathways

Mental Health and Neurodiversity

Mental health and Neurodiversity are at the heart of the challenges young people bring to their coach. In 2024-25, 59% of clients experienced anxiety or depression, 31% lived with ADHD, and 22% with Autism, often overlapping with other mental health conditions. Many disclosed past self-harm or suicidal thoughts, highlighting the urgent need for proactive, relational support.

These figures mirror national trends, with over 40% of neurodivergent young people disclosing co-occurring mental health conditions (Orygen 2024) and ADHD diagnoses among 15-24 year olds rising 25% in two years (AIHW, 2023). Stigma, delayed diagnosis and complex systems continue to make support hard to access.

Youth Outreach creates safe, neuro-affirming spaces that value each young person’s strengths.

Coaches adapt engagement styles, use visual tools and sensory aware spaces, and advocate with schools and services, ensuring no one is left behind.

I received support for medical assessments, housing, food, financial assistance, and just felt heard.

I feel more confident and really supported. That’s made a big difference.

I moved into a safe home.

I’ve learned how to manage my anger, calm down, and deal with anxiety in public.

LGBTIQA+ Young People

Youth Outreach is deeply committed to creating inclusive, affirming environments for LGBTQIA+ youth. This year 88 young people identified as LTBTQIA+ including many trans and non-binary participants.

Our Queer Psychosocial Outreach Program (QPOP) has become a trusted space for those often excluded from mainstream services. At a time when national reports shows that more than 1 in 2 LGBTQIA+ young people in Australia have seriously considered suicide in the past year (Writing Themselves in 4, 2023), affirming, peer-led outreach is life-changing.

Nearly 80% of QPOP participants achieved their personal goals, despite many presenting with overlapping barriers such as neurodivergence, discrimination and family rejection.

This is the first service where I felt fully seen and heard for who I am. I didn’t have to justify my identity.

Alcohol and Other Drugs

Substance use intersects with mental health, family conflict and housing instability for many young people. In 2024-25, 19 referrals came directly from AOD services, but many more disclosed use during casework. For some, it’s a coping mechanism for trauma or neurodiverse overwhelm. For others, it blocks engagement with education or work.

Our approach reduces stigma, builds trust and connects young people to specialist AOD supports when they’re ready. We work alongside them to set realistic, harm-minimisation goals that protect wellbeing and safety.

Complexity as the Norm

Young people rarely face just one challenge. Barriers often overlap and compound. In 2024-25, 109 clients disclosed neurodiversity, 128 disclosed mental health conditions and 65 identified as culturally and linguistically diverse. Whether navigating trauma, discrimination, or justice involvement, each young person’s situation is unique. Youth Outreach meets these complexities with flexible individualised, and holistic support, building trust and long-term pathways rather than quick fixes.

That is why the Youth Outreach approach is not about handovers or referrals alone. It’s about building trust, sustaining engagement, and ensuring young people feel seen and feel hope. Every referral is part of a long-term pathway, not jut a one-off transaction.

Return on Investment

In 2024–25, every dollar invested in Youth Outreach delivered measurable and lasting value for young people, their families, and the wider community.

Youth Outreach supported 322 young people, most experiencing overlapping barriers such as mental health, neurodiversity, housing instability, discrimination, and substance use. Despite this complexity, the program achieved:

of clients achieving two or more personal goals.

successfully transitioned into jobs or training pathways.

linked into long-term supports including housing, education, GPs and mental health care.

Major Gains

in mental health, independence, confidence, and social connection.

ROI SUMARY:

Applying conservative economic proxies, Youth Outreach outcomes generated over

in social and economic value in 2024–25, against a program cost of $1.13 million.

This equates to a Social Return on Investment of 3.3:1 for every $1 invested created more than $3.30 of value back to the community.

Homelessness usually begins early in life and escalates if challenges are not addressed and exclusion is reinforced. In Melbourne there are nearly twice as many young people experiencing homelessness than there are adults.

Youth Outreach acts as a protective factor. Connecting with young people early, building trust, and reducing harm before challenges escalate. But without the right supports, those same challenges can quickly tip a young person into homelessness. When that door closes, another opens at The Living Room. For those sleeping rough, couch surfing, or living without stability, The Living Room provides a pathway to health care, food, showers, housing pathways and compassionate connection.

Melbourne’s Hidden Homelessness

Homelessness in Melbourne is rising. On any given night, more than 30,000 Victorians are without a secure home. Most aren’t sleeping in the open, but in crisis accommodation, overcrowded housing or couch-surfing; the hidden homelessness that rarely makes headlines but carries the same weight of instability and exhaustion.

The CBD alone averages 70-100 people sleeping rough each night. Among them are women, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, groups who continue to be overrepresented in homelessness statistics. Each of these people are navigating daily uncertainty, vulnerability and survival.

At the same time, services are stretched. Thousands reach out for housing support in Victoria every day, but most are turned away because there is simply nowhere to send them. With rents surging and vacancy rates at record lows, even those ready to rebuild their lives find doors closed.

This is the reality The Living Room responds to, offering not just a drop-in space, but a vital doorway to health, housing, dignity and stability.

The Living Room: More than a Drop-In

Every day, The Living Room opens its doors to people experiencing homelessness, isolation, and deep disadvantage, people who have slipped through every other crack in the system. It’s not just a drop-in centre; it’s a health hub, a crisis response, and a place where dignity is restored.

In 2024-25

people came through those doors,

making more than

visits.

On average, each person returned nine times, a powerful indicator of trust, safety, and connection.

Behind every visit is a multidisciplinary team of nurses, doctors, peer workers, and support staff delivering trauma-informed care that prevents crisis and reduces pressure on emergency, justice, and housing systems across Melbourne.

The Living Room continues to be a lifeline for some of Melbourne’s most marginalised community members.

People facing layers of disadvantage that require wraparound care, not quick fixes. In 2024-25 we registered 1,561 individuals through more than 14,600 visits, with each person returning an average of nine times, a clear sign of trust and ongoing need.

The challenges are complex. 57% of attendances were from people sleeping rough, while many others were couch surfing or in insecure housing. Almost one in four presented financial stress, legal issues or relationship breakdowns. Over three-quarters of clients identified as male aged between 30 to 50. Health concerns are widespread with co-morbid conditions, poor mental health and alcohol and drug dependence common. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and people from culturally diverse backgrounds remain significantly overrepresented, underscoring the systemic inequities at play.

Through it all, our team is the backbone of the service. From nurses and GPs to harm reduction and psychosocial support workers, they knit together the fragmented support systems into a holistic safety net. Every connection, every small act of care, helps clients stabilise, rebuild, and keep the door open to a better future.

Primary Health Care Without Barriers

At its core, The Living Room provides low-barrier, trauma-informed health care for people experiencing homelessness and deep disadvantage. Care that many cannot access anywhere else. In 2024-25 our clinical teams delivered thousands of engagements across GP appointments, nurse clinics and after-hours outreach, forming the core of our holistic response.

Our GP service recorded 1,340 appointments, supporting 263 unique clients. While fewer in numbers than last year, the consultations were more complex with 272 high-complexity appointments (40+ minutes), alongside structured support for critical stability needs such as Disability Support Pension (29%), NDIS reports (21%) and housing special accommodation forms (15%). GPs also issued 2,543 prescriptions, coordinated 513 care plans, and facilitated over 1,800 referrals and tests, spanning mental health, pathology and specialist care.

Our nurses responded to urgent and ongoing needs with 199 wound care treatments, 186 minor ailments, 512 health promotion interactions and ongoing essential vaccinations. Beyond clinical tasks, they provided social support (37% of visits), responded to 104 mental health crises, and assisted after 21 physical assaults.

The Night Nurses and Saturday Clinics added over 4,200 contacts, reaching people after hours with the Night Nurses providing outreach services to many clients who were sleeping rough. Together, these services illustrate how health care at The Living Room extends beyond medicine. It’s a foundation for safety, stability and recovery.

Helping Navigate Lives

Outside of clinical care, The Living Room also acts as a drop-in space. A place where basic needs are met, trust is built and pathways into deeper support are opened. In 2024-25, Client Support Workers were at the heart of this model, providing both immediate assistance and the critical triage that links clients to health, housing and social supports.

Across the year, the team facilitated 2,037 referrals, with 527 to clinical services, 457 to external care partners, 326 to After-Hours Outreach, and 288 to intensive case support with our specialist workers. These figures highlight The Living Rooms function as the connective tissue in a fragmented system, ensuring no client is left to navigate complex services alone.

Basic supports remained vital with 6,945 instances of food provision, 2,560 showers and 1,018 loads of laundry giving clients the dignity of meeting basic human needs, while 1,297 uses of internet and computer access helped clients to manage housing applications, Centrelink and vital online connections.

Beyond crisis response, The Living Room facilitated life skills workshops, social groups, harm reduction conversations and job readiness activities, helping clients to rebuild confidence and connection. By combining warmth, practicality and system navigation, the team ensures The Living Room is far more than a drop-in centre, but a pathway to holistic, sustained support.

Beyond a Roof

Housing continues to be one of the most challenging yet critical areas of support at The Living Room. In 2024-25, 329 housing referrals were made with only 29 confirmed outcomes. While this represents a drop from previous years, these figures reflect the increasing complexity of client needs, shrinking availability of suitable housing, and the ongoing pressures within the broader homelessness service system. Each successful placement required intensive, coordinated effort, highlighting the persistence and dedication of our team.

The Pathways to Home program (funded by the Lendlease Foundation) exemplifies this approach. Targeting individuals with entrenched disadvantage, the program offered flexible, assertive outreach, case coordination, and personalised support. In 2024-25, 14 clients engaged meaningfully in support, with 8 successfully transitioning into stable housing. These outcomes underscore the value of tailored, trauma-informed and strengths-based support, showing that even small victories are significant wins for highly vulnerable people.

Our work goes beyond finding a roof. It’s about creating stability, rebuilding trust, and layering the foundation for broader recovery and wellbeing.

Alcohol and Other Drugs on the Street

Substance use rarely exists in isolation. Our clients often face intersecting challenges including housing instability, mental health struggles and physical health concerns. At The Living Room, we see the whole picture and respond with care tailored to each individual.

In 2024-25, alcohol remained the most reported drug of concern (36%), followed by cannabis (28%) and amphetamines (18%). Emerging trends, such as increased GHB use, highlight the importance of responsive, adaptive services. Our harm reduction approach is strengthened by peer-led roles, including the Peer Harm Reduction Specialist and the Proactive Overdose Response Initiative Worker. These trusted team members engage clients where they are, delivering low-threshold support, overdose prevention, and practical guidance on safer substance use.

The Living Room’s work extends beyond crisis management. Each interaction, whether through the Saturday Clinic, Foot Patrol or Naloxone distribution, supports clients to make safer choices, maintain health, and rebuild trust with services. In 2024-25, clients administered Naloxone to peers 60 times, demonstrating not just engagement but the life-saving impact of community-led education and support.

Our approach is holistic, non-judgemental and strengths-based, acknowledging the complexity of substance use while empowering clients to regain control, improve safety and reconnect with their goals.

Holistic Care in Action

This year, an Aboriginal man arrived at The Living Room straight from custody. He didn’t have ID, housing, or health support. Within 40 minutes, our multidisciplinary team had provided a trauma-informed, culturally safe response:

linking him with Ngwala case management,
housing advocacy,
AOD care
Primary health support
urgent material aid.

This rapid, wraparound support encourage service re-engagement, reduced the risk of relapse and built a foundation for ongoing stability. The Magistrate who referred him praised the “speed, quality and cultural integrity of our response.”

This story shows how The Living Room’s holistic approach addresses the full complexity of people’s lives, turning vulnerability into hope, safety and connection.

The Living Room

Social and Economical Return on Investment

Estimated Generated Value for the Community

in avoided hospital admissions and emergency presentations.

saved through reduced justice system costs.

saved in crisis accommodation and housing supports.

in community health system efficiencies.

in improved wellbeing and stability for clients reconnecting with care and community.

Total Financial and Social Benefits

For every $1 invested, The Living Room generates $3.08 in economic and social value through reduced public costs and improved wellbeing. Even when limited to direct fiscal savings, the service still delivers a 2.46:1 return, proving that compassionate care is also cost-effective.

*All figures are indicative estimates based on conservative cost-avoidance and wellbeing valuation methods used in Australian social impact studies.

The Ripple Effect

Each connection at The Living Room is more than a service — it’s a turning point. When someone walks in from the street and receives health care, housing advocacy, and cultural support, it’s not just one life stabilised — it’s a hospital bed freed, a police interaction avoided, and a step toward independence.

The Village Behind the Doors

At Youth Projects, we know it takes a village. Every door in our community, whether The Living Room, Youth Outreach, The Little Social or Youth Employment, connects young people with a thick web of support. Our teams collaborate across programs to provide holistic care, ensuring no matter how someone enters, they can access the right mix of services: housing, AOD support, mental health care, education, employment and more. This cross-program collaboration doesn’t just fill gaps; it creates pathways for young people to rebuild their lives.

People and Culture

Building Our Village

We ensure our village is strong from the inside out. In 2024-25, we were awarded a Great Place to work for the third year running! We are proud that our gender pay gap has fallen to 8.1% below the national median of 8.9% and well below the national average of 21.8% demonstrating our commitment to equity.

Embedding lived and living experience continues to strengthen our culture and frontline impact. While 72% of employees now identify with lived and living experience, areas such as neurodiversity (12%), substance use (7%) and family violence (4%) show continued growth.

Drawing on lived experience ensures our work is authentic, empathetic and grounded in real understanding of the people and communities we support.
Sabrina Foti,
Talent Development and Retention Manager

Growing the Next Generation

At Youth Projects, we don’t just support young people externally, we invest in them internally. Many of our team members have walked similar paths to the clients they now support. Their experiences bring empathy, insight and authenticity that strengthen our culture and our services.

Co-design with Clients

Our Youth Advisory Group (YAG) ensures young people shape the services they use. With active memberships growing across Sunshine, Werribee, Glenroy and Melton, young people co-design programs, lead events, and provide critical insight into our program design and service delivery. In 2024-25, multi-year funding from DFFH Engage! Program has allowed YAG to expand from its initial Sunshine location to now cover four different LGAs, meaning youth voice can continue to inform and strengthen holistic, connected care using a place-based approach.

Together our people (staff, volunteers and our young leaders) form the village that powers Youth Projects. It’s this combination of lived experience, collaboration and opportunities across all the doors that allows us to support young people in every aspect of their lives.

Our Future

As Youth Projects looks ahead, our focus is to build on strong foundations and deliver even greater impact for young people and those experiencing homelessness. Following a major strategic retreat in mid-2025, our Board and Executive reaffirmed a shared ambition to sharpen our focus, strengthen our systems, and scale what works.

Over the past five years, Youth Projects has grown significantly in both reach and influence. Now, we enter a new chapter, one defined by consolidation, innovation, and intentional growth. We will continue to evolve from being a collection of programs into a connected ecosystem of place-based hubs that anchor holistic, wraparound support in communities where it is needed most. These hubs bring together social connection, training, employment, health and wellbeing and social enterprise under one roof, creating seamless pathways for young people to access opportunity and rebuild their lives close to home.

Our expansion will focus on emerging areas of youth disadvantage across Greater Melbourne. By strengthening our hubs and extending the reach of our youth employment, training and non-vocational supports, we aim to meet young people where they are; physically, socially and emotionally. The future Youth Projects network will be more integrated, more visible, and more responsive to the complex realities young people face.

Partnership will continue to be a cornerstone of our approach. Through deeper social procurement alliances with government, industry and local councils, we will open up more employment pathways and trading opportunities within our social enterprises. Initiatives like The Little Social demonstrate that impact and enterprise can thrive together, and we will use that model to drive even greater social and economic outcomes in the years ahead.

To achieve our goals, we will invest in the systems and enablers that power our work. This means modernising our digital infrastructure, embedding innovation across all levels of the organisation, and ensuring our workforce remains empowered, capable and supported. As technology reshapes how young people access information, jobs and health care, Youth Projects will explore new digital and hybrid delivery models to improve accessibility and client experience.

Beyond service delivery, we will continue to use our voice and evidence to influence the systems that shape young people’s lives. Youth Projects has earned a reputation for innovation and authenticity, and we intend to leverage that credibility to inform policy, share our learnings, and strengthen the sector’s collective impact. Our commitment is to support service users directly and help build a better ecosystem around them.

As we look to the future, one thing remains constant: our belief that every person deserves the chance to thrive. By scaling our hubs, deepening our partnerships, and sharing our expertise, Youth Projects will continue to be a bold, evidence-driven leader, creating opportunity, connection and hope where it’s needed most.

Every Door Leads to Hope

From the streets to our primary health clinic

From the streets to our primary health clinic, from the youth hub to the café, every door at Youth Projects opens into the same thing: holistic, person-centred care. We meet people where they’re at, surround them with the right supports, and walk alongside them until they are ready to stand strong on their own.

Our programs work together like a village

Across housing referrals, AOD support, education and employment pathways and wellbeing, our programs work together like a village, each door connected to the next, each service reinforcing the other. Our people, made up of staff with lived experience, passionate young hires and dedicated experts, are the heartbeat of this approach, ensuring that every young person is seen, heard and supported.

At Youth Projects, hope isn’t just an outcome…

…it’s the foundation. Every referral, every connection, every success story is proof that when care, compassion and persistence is present, change is possible for everyone.