Have you ever heard of a reception center like this?
A new youth shelter center accommodation has just opened on King Street in Melbourne.
The room has charming arched windows overlooking the nightclub area, as well as an advanced kitchen, sensory lab and even a physiotherapy dog called Alfred.
The newly completed shelter, with 18 beds, will accommodate vulnerable youth groups.
Vicki Sutton, chief executive, said some clients said, "these teenagers don`t deserve something beautiful like this."
In fact, Vicki Sutton says, reception centers are providing young people with "what they deserve," because it`s not their own fault that many people go homeless and go astray.
For example, in the case of Melbourne Park woman who shocked the city last week, Courtney Huron (Courtney Herron), 25, was found in Royal Park in Parkville because of take drugs and mental health problems.
Until last month, for young homeless people between the ages of 16 and 25 who were in crisis, only 109 beds were available in 17 youth shelters across Victoria.
The number rose to 127 beds after the new 18-bed shelter officially opened on Thursday.
Ms. Sutton acknowledged that the A $9 million renovated reception centre would not address the severe shortage of beds.
The reception center has been full for weeks.
"there is a lot of demand," Ms. Sutton admitted.
About 40 to 60 young people can`t sleep every day because they don`t have enough beds.
But she hopes that the $3.5 million refurbishment project funded by philanthropy and state government will be carried out nationwide.
The center will target people with multiple problems, such as family tragedies or violence trauma, or mental health problems, drug or alcohol addiction.
The reception center will be open 24 hours a day to provide law, Centrelink and medical services to young homeless people, as well as drugs, family violence and mental health counselling.
Asked if the new center could help Courtney Herron, who died in Melbourne Park, Ms. Sutton said she could not comment.
"but what I can say is," this is not an ordinary refuge, but for a group of people who are in trouble right now, who do have complex problems, including mental health, take drugs and alcohol abuse. "
But anyway, it`s too luxurious.
Have this space, put a few more beds, let more people come in to take refuge?
