Latitude: Directions for Young People

Latitude acknowledges that the experience of homelessness is not a choice and encompasses much more than a lack of shelter. Young people who have been disconnected from family and out of ‘home’ for sometime will often present with a broad range of issues. We aim to assist young people to identify, and when they are ready, address the issues that have led to their homelessness. Often young people have been out of home for a considerable time and may not have developed the living skills that would be normally developed in a nurturing home. Latitude develops programs to assist disconnected young people gain the skills they will need to not only sustain accommodation but also to contribute positively to the community. Through support young people can find the space and time they need to develop, to work out where they want to go, what they want to do; most young people struggle with this, if they are experiencing homelessness it is almost impossible to achieve without positive support. Latitude links young people to community supports, assists with returning to education or seeking employment. This process can take a long time as most young people experiencing homelessness present fatigued and exhausted by life. Latitude is a point of contact, a place where there is no judgment, where anger and frustration at the world can be explored and expressed safely. When young people are ready they move on, embrace the world, as young people given opportunity do. Latitude: