Hannah attended Tewantin Primary then Sunshine Beach State High, dropping out of school at 15 when she experienced a complete breakdown of family relationships and mental health issues. She landed up living in a dilapidated party house with a group of youths, doing drugs and alcohol.
After six months and a few close calls, Hannah realised that she needed to get out and needed help.
Hannah was referred to Youturn (formerly United Synergies) and was accepted into their supported accommodation program where she lived for 12 months.
“Youturn gave me time to recover and process. I did not need to be nervous, on guard or weary or jump through people’s hoops,“ she said “They offered me a safe place – a haven. Youturn supported me with emotional counselling, teaching me about budgeting and even delivering food parcels when I could not make ends meet.“
After the year, Hannah met a guy, and soon after moving in fell pregnant. Unfortunately the relationship did not last but today she has a beautiful son – Harley, who is her reason for getting up each morning.
Hannah has consistently been employed since 2018, has a healthy lifestyle and has recently reached out to Youturn to help with their fundraising efforts.
“I feel lucky to have received the support I did, and I feel it’s important to give back and do what I can for someone else like me,” she said.
Last week in the lead up to World Homelessness Day on 10 October Tewantin community members swapped their work clothes for superhero suits and took on the challenge issued by Youturn Youth Services to raise money for homeless youth.
Youturn spokeswoman Antoinette Lloyd said all money raised by the Homelessness Heroes would go toward their project to raise $100,000 to build their first tiny house located in the Noosa Shire to provide transitional accommodation for people moving from homelessness to independence.
“There is a gap when they can struggle and need to gain additional support for three to six months,“ she said. “It will accommodate two young people or a mum and children to help put them back on their feet.“ Since launching the project a couple of months ago they have raised about $10,000 and are in discussions with Noosa Council on locating a place for their tiny house, she said.
“Noosa-Sunshine Coast is a popular holiday destination, but a tough place to live for many young people to settle due to extreme housing costs, low average wages, social housing shortage and high rental competition,“ she said. “Add to this, COVID-19 impacts of business closures, unemployment and health concerns, 2020 has seen more local people and particularly young people experiencing homelessness.“
Over the January-March 2020 quarter, 249 young people presented to Noosa-Sunshine Coast homelessness services.
“Just because you don’t see people sleeping rough in our streets doesn’t mean our community is immune to the problem, and there is just not enough affordable accommodation available to us to help home our young people,“ she said.
Anyone can experience homelessness with unplanned life events (health, job loss, family breakdown) putting many of us at-risk, and only a few small steps away from needing support or being homeless.
Youturn data shows the number of Australians aged 18 to 24 who experienced higher levels of housing stress increased threefold between April and May 2020, from 10.3 per cent to 27.5 per cent and young service industry employees have been hit hard by Covid-19 impacts.
Homeless persons often experience poor mental health, poverty, trauma, substance abuse, social isolation and are victims of crime.For more information or to donate visit www.youturn.org.au
