Life-changing support at Perry House

For more than 30 years, Jesuit Social Services’ Perry House program has provided supportive housing for young people with a cognitive impairment, who are involved with the justice system and at risk of experiencing homelessness.

For Dean*, moving into Perry House in 2022 was “life changing”, after some hard years experiencing homelessness and incarceration.

“I just didn’t have the confidence to work or study or anything,” he said.

“That came later, when I moved into Perry House, when I relaxed and knew I was in a safe space. Then I started thinking ‘What’s next? What should I do? Should I study? Should I work? Should I make friends?’.”

Now, Dean is 25 and soon to complete his year 12 VCE qualification, as well as studying jewellery making. He hopes that one day, after an apprenticeship and a lot of hard work, to open his own shop.

Dean says the support he received at Perry House made the difference in feeling able to reengage with school. “The workers were definitely helpful with anything that I was struggling with, could be homework or day to day struggles, they always had the time to sit down with you,” he says.

“Because I struggle with my independence, struggle with my emotions, anger and all that kind of stuff, they’ve helped me with that, so now I feel more confident. “It felt like a home, it felt like family.”

He credits much of that new-found confidence to the values fostered at Perry House, along with acquiring the skills he needed to live independently. Perry House is one of our housing programs for young people with complex needs. It is underpinned by the belief that feeling safe, confident and comfortable at home is a crucial aspect of supporting every person to become their best self.

Across other programs like Dillon House – supported accommodation for young people involved with the criminal justice system and at risk of homelessness – and the Link Youth Justice Housing Program, we are helping people secure a roof over their head which is fundamental in allowing them to address other issues going on in their lives.

We believe that housing is a human right, and that without access to appropriate housing people are unable to address other aspects of their life such as health, education and employment.

Through our advocacy to state and federal governments, we continue to call for an increase in the supply of public and community housing, further investment into programs offering tenancy support and wraparound support services for people with complex needs, and the introduction of minimum rental standards.

Leanne, General Manager of Housing and Complex Needs programs, says Perry House aims to instil a sense of safety and self-belief in residents through providing support and stability, to set them on a path to be able to thrive.

“We really think that within that environment, we can help them heal and recover from some of the trauma they’ve experienced in their lives, which can help prevent more offending,” she said.

A recent major redevelopment of the site has resulted in an even more accessible, welcoming and therapeutic space for participants.

“They need a sense of self-determination and privacy in how they lead their lives. We think it’s a really important component of helping young people develop their skills, look at training and employment opportunities and long-term housing where they can flourish,” Leanne said.

“Dean is a great example of that. He has transitioned (from Perry House) through to our Link Youth Justice Housing Program, and now is in long term accommodation making the most of opportunities for education and employment. As an organisation, we remain committed to working with young people with complex needs and justice involvement.”

*Dean’s name has been changed to protect his identity