Housing for homeless youth reaching full capacity on the MNC as demand rises

Since 2023, more than 160 young people have used the services of Kempsey’s Ngurra Housing Project. Today – at the tail end of national Homelessness Week – every bed is full, the waitlist is growing and YP Space MNC is calling for urgent funding to meet a growing demand that’s hard to keep up with.

Specialist youth homelessness service YP Space MNC (YPS) recently opened an additional six cabins at the Ngurra Housing Project (also known as The Park) in Kempsey. Just a couple of days later, they were all full of young people struggling to find a home.

“There's currently a wait list for the temporary cabins… and all of our other accommodation places are full as well,” Outreach Manager Deb Tougher told the Mid North Coaster.

“We’ve actually had to close our books for the first time in a while.”

Along with the transitional accommodation offered in Kempsey, YPS provides crisis accommodation and transition housing. These services are also offered in Port Macquarie.

Tougher said she’s noticed a recent “addition to our usual suspects when it comes to homelessness.”

“We're also seeing an increase in the number of young people that are coming to us who are actually employed, working, some of them full-time, who are still unable to find affordable renting across both Kempsey and Port Macquarie. 

“With the rising cost of living and the housing crisis, it's really affecting a lot of community to find affordable and safe housing.” 

Tougher said across both Kempsey and Port Macquarie there are a lack of rentals available – and only some of those are affordable for young people. 

Risk of return to homelessness without support

Affordable housing is just part of the solution proposed to help house young people on the Mid North Coast, according to Tougher. Support is the next step.

“If people have mental health issues, or just living skill issues, they've got a service there that will hold their hand and support them through that so they don't then lose their tenancy,” she said.

Tougher said young people coming out of juvenile detention and prison can miss out on basic life skills.

“They're coming to us not knowing how to cook, not knowing how to clean, not knowing how to make an appointment, not knowing how to keep that appointment,” she said.

“They can't keep their house tidy and then they lose their tenancy and become homeless again.” 

Tougher wants to see more supported living services like Ngurra.

“Every single young person that comes into this cabin situation gets wraparound support so that they can get on their feet quicker and more successfully than if they were just dumped here and left to their own devices.”

@midnorthcoaster

The challenge of house hunting with homelessness in your past. #australia #midnorthcoast #kempsey #homelessnessweek

Savannah’s story

Kempsey resident Savannah, 20, is just one example of how temporary housing and support services have led to a home after months of homelessness and rejections.

Savannah said she had experienced homelessness on-and-off since the age of 16. She found herself homeless again in March, before moving into a temporary cabin at Ngurra in Kempsey in April.

Savannah had struggled to find a rental property, despite applying for 15 houses in five months. She believes the rejections were due to having a lack of rental history, being young, and having been homeless in the past.

“Not a lot of real estate [agents] are really aware of what’s going on and the housing crisis,” she told the Mid North Coaster.

“It’s a lot to go through at this age, at any age, it’s a lot to go through,” she said. “But when you have a good support system, it makes it a little bit easier to bear.”

Savannah’s experience at Ngurra has been a positive one and was recently told by her YPS case worker that she would be moving into a house on Friday.

Increased funding for extra staff needed

Tougher said her dream is to replicate the temporary accommodation and support services in Kempsey. Another hub in Port Macquarie seems most likely. However, for this to happen, YP Space needs increased funding for extra staff.

“Even if you waved your magic wand and gave me an apartment block of 200 units, we couldn't actually take them on because we don't have the staff to manage the young people that we'd put into those units.”

Since June 2023, Ngurra has accommodated 168 young people including children. The average length of stay is 37 days.

National Homelessness Week

This year’s Homelessness Week started on Monday (August 4) and will run until Sunday.

Over the seven days, services and community groups across the country raise awareness of the impact of homelessness, and offer insights for solutions needed to end homelessness.

The 2025 theme is: “Homelessness Action Now”.

To find out more, including services available visit: https://homelessnessaustralia.org.au/