GLAMYHS
Celebrating Small Wins & Steady Progress at GLAMYHS
The Great Lakes and Manning Youth Homelessness Service (GLAMYHS) supports young people aged 16–24 who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, through our Taree Crisis Youth Refuge, Transitional Accommodation Program, and Outreach Youth Housing Support Program.
In FY25, GLAMYHS provided 6,702 bed nights to young people and families on the NSW Mid North Coast, showing the scale of demand in our region. The housing crisis remains the single biggest challenge, with fewer affordable rentals available than even 12 months ago. For young people, this makes the path out of homelessness longer and harder.
On top of this, the Mid North Coast floods had a major impact in the communities where we work. Phil Pilgrim, Specialist Homelessness Services Manager, says, “For a period of five days during the floods, we only had two staff who could manage the refuge, working around the clock. Hotels were full of flood victims, outreach offices were closed, and roads were cut off. But even then, we kept the Taree Youth Refuge staffed 24/7. I was proud of our team’s resilience through this challenging time.”
He says the community response was remarkable: “Neighbours were turning up at each other’s houses with a shovel or mop to help clean up. Even older residents were taking people’s laundry home to wash. It was incredible to see the community come together, even while so many were traumatised by what they’d lost.”
Phil explains the flow-on effects of the crisis are still being felt: “Flood victims have understandably been prioritised for rentals, however with limited accommodation, this has pushed young people even further back. Rents have gone up, and the stress is higher. We’re seeing young people staying longer in transitional accommodation because there’s just nowhere to go, which then blocks beds in the refuge. It affects the whole system.”
Despite these pressures, our GLAMYHS team is creating positive outcomes for young people each day through consistent support and persistence.
“We try to focus on the small wins. If we can get someone linked in with a psychologist, or attending school again, that’s a step forward. You can’t always look for the big outcome straight away. It’s about steady progress, one step at a time.”
PHIL PILGRIM SPECIALIST HOMELESSNESS SERVICE MANAGER
Case Study – Debbie*
17-year-old Debbie’s* story shows what small wins and steady progress can look like in practice.
At 17, Debbie entered our Taree refuge after a period of homelessness. She later moved into a GLAMYHS transitional unit in the community, sharing accommodation with her sister who was also without stable housing.
With consistent support from her GLAMYHS case worker, Debbie began to stabilise her situation. She secured employment, which gave her the financial independence to pursue private rental housing.
Despite the challenges of a competitive rental market, Debbie persisted — attending inspections, submitting applications, and building her capacity to succeed as a tenant. With her case worker’s support, she was eventually approved for her first private rental property.
This achievement marks a turning point, moving from crisis accommodation to independent living. Debbie will continue to receive support through the Rent Choice Youth program to help her adjust to her new circumstances and build long-term stability.
*Name has been changed to protect the confidentiality of the young person involved.
