Virtual Tour: Village 21
Take a walk through Village 21 and see the construction of the Village 21 Pilot via a 3D walk through and time-lapse, thanks to our partners at Macutex.
Village 21
Village 21 provides a combination of accommodation and support for young people as they transition from out-of-home care to independent living.
Village 21 was developed by Kids Under Cover and Anglicare Victoria to provide a safe and secure shared living environment for young people aged 18-21. Beyond offering a place to live, Village 21 empowers young people with crucial employment guidance, educational pathways, and life skills for a successful transition to independence.
The Village 21 Model
The Village 21 model, developed by Kids Under Cover and Anglicare Victoria, provides secure supported housing for young people aged 18-21 to successfully transition from out-of-home care. Addressing the risk of homelessness faced by young people when they leave state care models,
The Village 21 pilot, in Melbourne’s North has been active for three years and in that time has led to positive outcomes for the young people living there. Now, three new Village 21s, culturally tailored for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, are in development in partnership with First Nations lead organisations like the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA).
The Village 21 model provides stable, self-sufficient accommodation for up to six young people aged 18 to 21 as well as two live-in mentors. It also employs a Key Practitioner who helps the young people access services, social activities and employment, education and training pathways. Each studio within the village offers residents their own private living space while a communal area encourages shared cooking, conversation and social interaction.
Beyond offering a place to live, Village 21 empowers young people exiting out-of-home care with crucial employment guidance, educational pathways, and life skills for a successful transition to independence.
Village 21 Pilot
The Village 21 pilot has now been active for three years with many successes in delivering positive outcomes for young people living in this fit-for-purpose accommodation.
Beyond offering a place to live, Village 21 empowers young people exiting out-of-home care with crucial employment guidance, educational pathways, and life skills for a successful transition to independence via the support provided by our partners at Anglicare Victoria. The Village 21 is designed to be a safe and secure shared living environment to enable effective delivery of those wrap around supports.
Our partnership with Anglicare Victoria serves as a blueprint as we lay the foundation for additional Village 21 sites across the state and beyond.
'Moorumbina Mongurnallin'
Kids Under Cover, and VACCA, have created a Village 21 model called ‘Moorumbina Mongurnallin’ to be delivered in Melbourne’s South East, prioritising cultural responsiveness. VACCA employs the Key Practitioner, who supports the young people and live-in mentors. The name, ‘You are Loved’ in Bunurong language, reflects the project’s essence. The site has been designed with on-site amenities and cultural adaptations identified via consultation with Elders and the community, accommodates six young residents for up to three years.
Upcoming Village 21 projects
In addition to the ‘Moorumbina Mongurnallin’ Village 21 project set to be opened in April 2024, there are two further Village 21 projects in development with a focus specifically on supporting young people from First Nations communities and all will be designed with cultural safety and inclusion as a focus via a process of community consultation with a range of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations in regional Victoria
Watch: Village 21 pilot launches
View the launch video celebrating the launch of the Village 21 pilot. This first-of-its-kind supported accommodation model provides studios for six young people, giving them a stable home, wrap around supports and communal living elements for up to three years.
Delivered in partnership with Anglicare Victoria, the Village 21 model is designed to interrupt the trajectory of young people leaving care often finding themselves without the support they need to secure safe and suitable accommodation, and support to establish themselves with study, training, employment and other important lifestyle needs.
Six young people aged 18-21 and a two professional mentors will reside on site, with regular visits by Anglicare Victoria staff with expertise in employment and study pathways. Village 21 will support communal activities such as cooking, maintaining shared gardens and learning life skills.
Video created by Anglicare Victoria.
Village 21 image gallery
Take a look at some pictures of our Village 21 model in action, supporting young adults to transition to independent living.
