For many young people experiencing homelessness that stay at the Veritas House youth refuges and who cannot return safely to their homes, it can be difficult to secure a lease in the very competitive private rental market with no prior rental history and limited finances. To help address this, Veritas owns a one-bedroom flat which it operates as a Transitional Youth Housing property, leasing the property at below market rent to young people who are transitioning from homelessness to independence; and Veritas case workers support them over a 3-6 month period to obtain furnishings, secure ongoing income, learn budgeting and tenancy management skills and develop a rental history. At the end of their lease, Veritas provides a reference and assists the young person to secure long-term private rental accommodation through advocacy and support.
With access to affordable housing continuing to be one of the greatest barriers for young people transitioning to independent living, Veritas House launched a fundraising appeal in 2018 to raise funds to purchase additional Transitional Youth Housing properties to assist young people in the region who are exiting crisis accommodation to transition into independent living. After raising more than $290,000, we have now purchased a two-bedroom flat in Orange and have a further $30,000 to raise until we own the property outright. The property was renovated thanks to a generous grant from Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation, and will now be a safe and comfortable place for young people to call home for years to come.
If you own a business and would like to donate goods or services towards a raffle, or would be interested in hosting a fundraising event to support our fundraising Appeal, please contact Gina on (02) 6332 3882 or email contact@veritashouse.org.au to discuss ways that you can provide support.
If you would like to make a tax deductible donation towards the Transitional Youth Housing Appeal to assist Veritas to continue to give young people in Central Western NSW who have experienced homelessness access to Transitional Housing.
The transformation of the Orange Transitional Youth Housing flat has been nothing short of miraculous, with thanks to Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation for supporting the renovation and furnishing of the flat.
Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation also provided funding to enabled the renovation of the Transitional Youth Housing property in Bathurst. The result was a unit which tenants take pride in while rebuilding their life and an asset that will benefit the Bathurst community by breaking the cycle of homelessness and disadvantage for generations to come.
If you could like to make a donation to the appeal visit bit.ly/3JLhNXu