February 14, 2023

Village 21 has been granted a huge investment

Media Release

This is an exciting day for Kids Under Cover and our Village 21 model of support.

We’re delighted to share the news that the Victorian Minister for Housing, Colin Brooks has given the green light to fund two new Villages to be developed across regional Victoria.

The funding comes from a $50 million investment by the government to address youth homelessness and help make sure young Victorians have the accommodation and supports they need, particularly during the often volatile period after exiting various state care systems.

Independent reviews of our Village 21 pilot site in Preston have shown that after nearly two years, the young occupants have made incredible progress towards developing the living skills and personal growth to help them prepare for independent living and redirect them away from a path to homelessness.

Our CEO, Stephen Nash has every confidence in the program’s ability to offer a positive path for young people:

“This is a proven model which enables young people to navigate the challenges of leaving care. This funding will not only enable us to house more vulnerable young people, it will help propel us towards our goal of eliminating youth homelessness in Victoria.”

The funding announcement builds on the expansion of the model, with a new Village site already in development in Frankston. It represents an extension of our strong partnership with the Victorian Government and we must acknowledge the foresight the government has shown in investing in preventative and innovative models such as ours in addressing the growing need to support young people vulnerable to homelessness.

The Village 21 model of support is tested, proven and ready to go. We expect these initial project announcements to be the first of many and can’t wait to share updates on the success stories of the young people who have been given the opportunity to imagine and shape their own positive futures.