Kicking back against youth homelessness with Kick Back Make Change
This article was adapted from Aaron Hendry's HiNZ presentation.
Youth homelessness is a critical issue affecting rangatahi and tamariki, who constitute over 50% of the homeless population. 60% of Māori experiencing homelessness are under 25. Despite this alarming statistic, there is a significant disparity in the support systems available for young people compared to adults. The lack of safe spaces for youth in crisis exacerbates their vulnerability. The current emergency accommodation system not only fails to address their needs but often inflicts further harm, perpetuating homelessness. Homelessness is a risk factor for a host of poor health outcomes, including mortality, illness, disease, mental health, substance abuse, and social or behavioural problems.
To tackle these challenges, Kick Back and Massey Community Trust (MCT) have launched The Safety Net Project. This initiative aims to redesign the emergency housing system by providing a viable alternative. The project focuses on immediate accommodation within a network of safe and supported whānau, offering a safety net of host homes. Through this collaboration, Kick Back and MCT are developing a community-based approach to emergency housing that emphasises trauma-informed care and youth development.
A key component of The Safety Net Project is the establishment of a host home network, which serves as an alternative to traditional emergency housing. This network is built on community partnerships and a commitment to community development and organising. By leveraging these partnerships, the project addresses the holistic needs of young people, offering them a stable and supportive environment.
Wild Bamboo helps with managing Kick Back Make Change's data and extracting insights. They use Recordbase as their client management system, which has enabled the project to build robust tools for data capture and impact measurement, ensuring that the outcomes are systematically tracked and analysed. Using Recordbase, they built a survey tool that captures data points that point to wellbeing improvements from the entry and exit point of the Safety Net Project. The aim of this was to gather evidence to prove that safe, stable housing that sits outside the emergency accommodation system is effective and leads to significant improvements. This data was fed into the creation of a framework to address youth homelessness. They have also used another tool within Recordbase to match rangatahi with suitable safe homes. It takes into account each individual’s unique needs and preferences, so that they can be paired with homes that are compatible with them. This contributes to the success of the initiative and ensures that we are there for people in the right ways.
The Safety Net Project is currently operational, with five active host homes. In the last year and a half, it has supported 13 young people and one pepe (infant), achieving remarkable outcomes. All participants have transitioned into stable housing, with 100% reporting feelings of love and support. Additionally, 80% experienced an increased sense of connection and community support, and 80% of those using substances reduced their usage. Furthermore, 60% reported improved mental health outcomes.
The project has demonstrated the effectiveness of preventing youth homelessness by placing young people in safe and stable environments. This approach has minimised risks and enabled young people to achieve more positive outcomes than those observed in the current government-funded system. They have learned that a lot of the work is about organising the community and closing the gaps between services to ensure that young people receive the support they are already eligible for.
The Safety Net Project provides a compelling case for community-based alternatives to emergency housing. It shows that when communities are empowered to organise and respond to the challenges of youth homelessness, significantly better outcomes can be achieved. This initiative not only addresses the immediate needs of homeless youth but also fosters a sense of belonging and support within the community, paving the way for a more sustainable and compassionate approach to homelessness.
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