The Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) has donated $20,000 for the provision of support and supplies to 60 children who are either homeless or in an unstable housing situation.
Launch Housing is the recipient of the donation, which provides services, support and assistance to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming so.
REIV Charitable Foundation chair Sophie Lyon said the real estate industry is proud to be able to give back to the community.
“Children in these families have a right to feel safe, supported and secure, and the REIV Charitable Foundation is proud to support Launch Housing to reach out to as many vulnerable children as possible,” she said.
“Our industry wants to give back to our community; being able to help 60 at-risk children gain access to education, daily essentials and support is vital.”
It follows a $10,000 donation last year, which benefited 27 people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.
As real estate agents, Ms Lyon said “we know how important housing is and it is imperative that we do everything we can to provide support for children in families experiencing homelessness”.
“The COVID-19 crisis is impacting us all and we all need to play our part to ensure that the most at risk in our community are protected during these demanding times,” she explained.
Launch Housing CEO Bevan Warner said the donation would go towards supporting children in families experiencing homelessness.
“This donation will help us to stay in touch with these families and to provide access to online schooling, support and a telephone hotline for children to be able to reach us,” Mr Warner highlighted.
The CEO flagged that with Victorians closing their doors to battle COVID-19 and schools remaining largely closed, “children in families experiencing homelessness may also be at increased risk of family violence”.
“Twenty per cent of people asking for help from homelessness services in Australia are children under the age of 15, and we thank the REIV Charitable Foundation for helping us to support some of these children,” he said.
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Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.