An ATAR of 97, guaranteed entry into an accelerated degree at a local sandstone university, and a spot in a semi-professional orchestra. You might be lulled into thinking Matthew’s trajectory into 2026 has been smooth sailing.
Quietly confident and easily sharing a joke, Matthew shares how this wasn’t the case and how his final year of school was turned upside down at the outset. Suddenly, managing school whilst experiencing homelessness before being referred to inCommunity Connect’s Hargreaves House last September.
“In February last year, I was suddenly kicked out of home without much reason or notice. Starting Year 12 in all the hard subjects. I couch-surfed for most of the year but needed to find an alternative that was safe and stable.” Matthew shares.
Arriving at inCommunity Connect’s 6-bed, 24-hour youth crisis accommodation service in Spring, Matthew arrived after a short-term stay in Queensland Government’s Immediate Housing Response (IHR) program with another local service that referred him to our dedicated program for young people experiencing homelessness.
“The call from inCommunity came suddenly to my mind, so when I heard from them, it took a little getting used to it at first. But they were really good at adjusting to my school schedule and accommodating me, since they knew I was very nervous. In these types of harsh times, even the positive changes can feel sudden, so it was helpful to start looking at these changes as turning my life from down to upright.” Matthew says.
On his first day at Hargreaves House, Matthew explains the intake process, including working through the in-depth paperwork that outlines all procedures and expectations for residents.
“It was a fairly big change for me. Everything expected of me was written down and clear, which eased me into the program. I also felt very welcomed from the outset by the workers and the other residents. It was definitely a change to living around people my own age. Over time, I opened up, and everyone kind of embraces you, residents and workers alike. They take on your traits and personalities, and you can share your story as little or as much as you want to,” he shares.
Completing Year 12 at Bellbird Park State Secondary (he shares ‘they deserve the wrap!’), including before-school specialist subjects with another school, Matthew would often undertake those lessons, using his phone on the train. Staying back after school to tutor younger grades and get some extra work done under the guidance of his STEM teachers before heading back to the house for 5pm.
Ensuring he kept up with the expectations at Hargreaves House of cooking, cleaning and keeping his room tidy, Matthew had less time to study.
He shares, “It forces you to be more efficient and proactive in your study. Playing music was also still part of my routine, but I had to find the time. Having a variety of interests also helped balance out my study routines, keeping different parts of my brain active. Also, enjoying time with the other residents was important too; we became a big F1 house, all Oscar Piastri fans!”
Amidst this busy schedule, Matthew was fully committed to his regular case management meetings, another expectation of his stay at Hargreaves House. He shares,
“The case management was exceptional. There were so many things I had been putting off, like obtaining my medicare card, working towards my driver’s licence, and updating my Centrelink and bank details. It makes you sit down and set out your goals. It’s completely changed the way that I think about those more mature, adult processes.
Finishing high school and then preparing for uni, QTAC acceptances, it would have been much more rickety. It would have been like being on a shaky bridge. So having a strong foundation and a supportive team to help with all these things. It made me grow and nurture me into having a mentality to make a plan for things like this and get them done.”
Working towards his longer-term goal of stable housing was never far from his mind, and Matthew undertook the Tenancy Skills Institute full course, Skillsets for Successful Tenancies, before tackling his Department of Housing application.
He says, “The course is a very good resource, and there were some very memorable learnings. Developing a rental application, how to maintain a rental for things like cleanliness, and then the notice periods for inspections was really helpful. Also, having all of your documents ready and knowing the questions to ask when viewing properties was really interesting.
After completing the Tenancy Skills Institute course, I worked on and lodged my Department of Housing application and have since been accepted into a university residence after receiving a scholarship for accommodation there!” he shares with a smile.
Wow! So much for Matthew to be proud of as he is packing up his room for his move to university. And he would agree, but also thoughtfully reflects on some of his more personal achievements throughout his stay.
“The easy thing would be for me to say my ATAR is my most proudest moment while staying at Hargreaves House. But really, I’d say it’s definitely been breaking down some of my previous insecurities. Being gently nudged out of my comfort zone by the workers.
I’ve proudly leaned into things knowing I may not ever be ‘good’ at certain things, like cooking and painting for fun, and have found comfort and satisfaction in trying them. Finding familiarity in the unfamiliar, it’s been a very big part of my stay.
I’ve also enjoyed the companionship and relationships I’ve built with the current residents and getting to know the workers too. Their dedication to bettering the lives of young people while also seeing the workers as real people with lives outside of work. Seeing their work-life balance, yet still being fully committed to what they do. It completely blew me away!”
With such a bright future ahead (and planning a mega lasagne to cook for the house on his last night!), Matthew ends our conversation sharing where he sees himself in ten years’ time.
“I definitely wouldn’t pinpoint it. It’s like asking a sailor what direction the wind will be facing in ten years time!” he says with a smile.
“But seriously, I’ll be doing lots of things in and after uni. I’ll view home with a base camp mentality. It’s the base where I’ll come back to every day, to rest, recharge and get ready to do the things I want to do. My concept of home would be very different if I wasn’t here. Experiencing this very unique home environment, has given me a very adaptable and malleable sense of home.”
With a bright, shining light on Matthew’s horizon, we’re pleased that he found Hargreaves House a safe space where he could build new skills to take forward with him as he moves confidently into university life. Please join us in wishing him well on his travels ahead.
