A place to call home

For someone as young as Ari, the journey to safe and stable housing, has been much longer and more difficult than it should have been. As a young trans man, Ari’s struggles to find a home began when his life should have been filled with new beginnings and possibilities after transitioning into his true identity.

Instead, because of his environment not accepting him, Ari faced the harsh reality of homelessness: couch surfing, sleeping in precarious situations and spending numerous nights in his car with his only friend, Nibbles, the cat. He was also worried about losing his job due to his fluctuating circumstances.

However, when Ari connected with our Northern Community Hub in Glenroy, he finally didn’t have to navigate these challenges alone and with our VincentCare team at his side, offering and linking him to the right support systems, his path began to change.

Ari’s support worker found a caring solution for Nibbles and secured a spot for Ari in transitional housing accommodation – a much-needed respite from the constant stress of not knowing where he would sleep next.

The challenges didn’t stop though. As Ari continued his housing journey, he encountered significant difficulties in applying for private rental due to the discrepancies between his identity documents from before and after his transition– a process that can take a long time.

VincentCare stepped in with tailored, rainbow-friendly accredited support. His support workers helped Ari navigate these complexities, providing guidance and understanding and with his determination, he also completed a Certificate III in Business.

Today, Ari has a place to call his home – an apartment where he is reunited with Nibbles and can finally build the life he dreams of and deserves, being empowered and looking into the future fill with possibilities.

VINCENTCARE'S NORTHERN COMMUNITY HUB
Behind an unassuming door at a shopping strip in the working-class suburb of Glenroy, the Northern Community Hub provides flexible and innovative responses to homelessness and housing instability for people living in Hume, Merri-Bek and local government areas in Melbourne’s west.

*Names and images changed for privacy reasons