Noosa charity Waves of Kindness pours $50,000 into funding tiny homes for Noosa’s homeless

A youth support service has received a major boost to kick start its goal of building tiny homes in Noosa for those sleeping rough.

Youth support service Youturn has received a $50,000 boost to enable a start to its $200,000 initial goal of building two tiny homes in Noosa to help turn around the lives of those sleeping rough.

The donation from Charity Waves of Kindness, which operates Alpha & Omega Recycling shop in Noosaville, comes as Youturn Youth Support CEO Andrew Anderson revealed the extent of the growing housing crisis.

“The reality according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare is that specialist youth homelessness services have insufficient beds to meet demand and they are forced to turn away one in two people who contact them for help,” Mr Anderson said.

In the March quarter last year 249 young people presented to Noosa-Sunshine Coast homelessness services.

Thanks to this latest contribution, Youturn’s Big Hearts for Tiny Homes can finally make a start of its goal of providing short-term, transitional housing to young people.

“Due to the generous donations received from our supporters including Waves of Kindness, we are now able to commence our build in July for a September delivery,” Mr Anderson said.

Dan Riga and Pete Damiris of Waves of Kindness make the day of Susan Beaton of Youturn Youth Support service with their generous support.

“The first two tiny homes will be based in the Noosa Shire, and we are working closely with Noosa Council, who has been extremely supportive of this initiative, to secure suitable land for these.

“After receiving help to resolve crisis in their lives, a young person may receive ongoing social support and tenancy in a tiny home, before taking the next step to independent living,” he said.

Waves of Kindness CEO Dan Riga said the funds have come thanks to strong community support of his group’s Production St op shop.

Youturn is appealing to other businesses on the Sunshine Coast to reach out so the service can expand its tiny home delivery.

“Over the past 10 months since launching our Big Hearts for Tiny Homes campaign in August last year, we have worked tirelessly with our community and corporate partners to raise awareness and funds for this exciting project,” Mr Anderson said.

“This Big Hearts for Tiny Homes project is a first for our organisation and one that we are truly passionate about, but we cannot do it alone.

“We are so close (to starting delivery), but there is still work to be done,” he said.