Launch Housing

Spotted at a café near you 👀

The fourth edition of Our House magazine is here, bringing powerful stories, bold ideas, and real-world solutions to in Melbourne.

At the heart of this year’s magazine are stories that challenge assumptions and build connection through lived experience and frontline insight.

Distributed through cafés and venues across inner , Our House sparks conversations in the places we gather over coffee, lunch, or on the tram ride home.

Grab a copy or read it online: https://tinyurl.com/ReadOurHouse

National Reconciliation Week is about truth, justice, and belonging – and why having a safe place to call home matters.

At Launch Housing, reconciliation is part of everything we do. This year’s theme All In reminds us to keep listening, learning, and walking alongside First Nations communities.

This week we came together to recognise reconciliation leaders, watch BabaKiueria, and share a meal from Jerry’s Burgers, a First Nations-owned business.

Reconciliation is built through action, and we’re all in for truth-telling, accountability and belonging. Read more 👉 https://tinyurl.com/2kwxrkzf

🌈17 May is – the International Day Against LGBTQIA+ Discrimination.🌈

In Victoria, LGBTQIA+ people are overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness.

At Launch Housing, we’re committed to improving housing outcomes for LGBTQIA+ communities.

To mark IDAHOBIT, we welcomed a guest speaker from the Language Justice Network, who shared insights into the challenges facing LGBTQIA+ refugees and people seeking asylum who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

“IDAHOBIT Day is a time to name the homophobia, biphobia, intersexphobia and transphobia that still exist,” he said. “But it’s also a day to recognise what’s possible – what we can build if we’re willing to challenge our assumptions and invest in something better.”

Getting your driver’s license is a big deal.

It means freedom, independence, and new possibilities.

Right now, 40–100 young people are waiting for a volunteer driving mentor in each of our Youth Foyers. Without one, that license – and everything it unlocks – stays out of reach.

For many young people at Launch Housing’s Youth Foyers, there’s no family member available to help them get the 120 supervised driving hours they need. That’s why the L2P Program exists.

Our Youth Foyers in Glen Waverley and Broadmeadows support young people to build stable, independent lives while completing their education. A driver’s license can be a game changer, opening doors to work, study, and connection.

💛 You don’t need your own car

✅ Training and insurance provided

⏰ Just one to two hours a fortnight

It’s a small commitment that can make a life-changing difference.

👉 Become an L2P mentor today

Contact Erin (Glen Waverley Youth Foyer) or Ann (Broadmeadows Youth Foyer) at [email protected]

In recognition of National Close the Gap Day 2026, we partnered with Blak Pearl Studio Fitzroy to support their community studio drop‑in sessions, providing art materials, food and material aid, with support from the Yarra City Council, Pinchapoo and the Order of Malta

Blak Pearl is an incredible creative art studio and community gathering place in Fitzroy, guided by Yarra Elders. It offers a space for Mob experiencing hardship or disconnection to engage in artistic and cultural practices. Through this work, the studio supports connection, cultural knowledge, and community wellbeing.

This year’s theme, : The Pathway to Justice, Equality and Healing, highlights the role of community‑led action.

Launch Housing stands with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the call to close the gap in health and social inequality. As part of our work to end homelessness, we recognise that housing is a human right and a foundation for health, wellbeing, and equality.

Launch Housing joins many human rights, legal, community, and First Nations organisations to oppose the Victorian Government’s recent youth justice laws, which allow children as young as 14 to be sentenced as adults.

Children do not belong in prisons, and no child should ever receive a life sentence.

Through our work as a provider of homelessness support and community housing, we know the lifelong impact of the trauma of encountering the justice system.

Children in the justice system need support, not punishment. They need safe housing, family and community connection, education, mental health care, and culturally appropriate services.

Evidence shows these measures reduce reoffending and help young people thrive.

Read more via our website: https://www.launchhousing.org.au/victorias-youth-justice-reforms/