Bertrina, Nicholas and their two year old son Luke found themselves sleeping rough after

their relationship with her family broke

down suddenly.

 

Nicholas knew they had to get help. “I can sleep in the cold, but Luke can’t and neither can she. She’s four months pregnant.”

 

A friend recommended they visit YFS, where staff helped them find crisis accommodation, then worked with them to sort out longer term housing.

 

“It was immediate from the minute we walked in here. YFS made sure we were roofed for a few days at least,” Nicholas says.

 

“YFS has done everything they possibly could to get us a place. We’ve now been offered a house at Loganlea. We’ve accepted the offer; we’re just waiting for the property to be ready for sign up,” says Bertrina.

 

“In the meantime I stay at a women and children’s hostel with Luke.“ The family has overcome many challenges over the years and struggled to get what they needed.

 

YFS helped them find a house through public housing. They will soon move into independent accommodation, determined for their lives to be a world away from what they have already faced.

 

“This is permanent, this is proper. No one can walk in and say you get out tomorrow,” says Bertrina.

 

Nicholas says the security is a relief. “Once you got that, you can do anything. You can be anything you want to be. I just can't wait to get home.”

 

“I’ve done a lot of sleeping rough over the last few weeks, but we all have learnt a whole lot from this.”

 

Bertrina says she is happy to be safe. “I've just always been told: this is your life. Don´t ever expect anything more or wish for anything more. I feel really happy now. Having a roof over our heads means everything.”

 

 

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“I have a lot of dreams. I'd really, really like for Luke to get a good education. Love it for him to excel out of this and not to see us as we are now. I’d love him to transcend

from all this. Because it’s been hard for him too. He knows. He had all his toys, to nothing.”

 

Nicholas

 

 

 

“I just thought YFS was like a food voucher thing; give you maybe a motel for a night and send you on your way. I didn't realise it was an actual proper thing where the

lady comes in to the Department of Housing with you, helps you fill out paperwork, plays with your kids while you're doing stuff, actually proper helps you. Who can say that an organisation does that for someone? I've never heard of anything like that in my life, ever.”

 

Bertrina

 

 

 

“My dad was a hard worker.

He came from public housing himself. Ironically when I told them the good news that we got a house through public housing he said:'that’s ironic. I spent the first 20 years of my life trying to get out of it and you’re so excited to get into it.' They hoped for more.”

 

Nicholas

YFS is funded by the Australian Government and the Queensland Government.

YFS acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are Australia's First Peoples and the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we meet and work.