Focus May. 2016 | Page 11

Helping young people to learn and grow HOUSING SA is working with Junction Australia to help young people in Adelaide’s south who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to maintain their education. As part of the 12-month trial program, three young women are sharing a three-bedroom “Education House”, located within walking distance of a high school, train stop, shops and essential services. Two of the young women have finished school and are now in higher education. Another woman who successfully completed her stay at the house gained her SA Certificate of Education equivalent, and now works part-time and lives independently. The young people in the program also develop skills in sharing and maintaining a house, and paying rent on time. A case manager provides support with help from social work students from Flinders University. Support for the young participants is provided through Housing SA’s youth homelessness program. The trial program will be evaluated when it finishes in June. Leave a tidy property to avoid clean-up fees TENANTS who vacate a Housing SA property must leave it tidy and free of rubbish and belongings to avoid a clean-up fee. Housing SA charges tenants for the removal of any goods left behind, and these costs can be substantial. For example, the average cost for Housing SA to remove and dispose of a car body is $285, while a mattress is about $50. If a skip bin is required to remove furniture and rubbish left behind, the costs can be substantial, with a large skip bin costing $1,080. These costs must be paid by the tenant, and Housing SA will require tenants to make arrangements to pay their debt promptly. Housing SA reminds vacating tenants to remove their belongings and rubbish from the property. Tenants can contact their local council to find out about hard rubbish collection services. Focus May 2016 | 11