When Lilly Hatchman’s son arrived at 30 weeks, she found herself caring for a premature baby with nowhere safe to call home. Her experience is now shaping a $2 million effort to build supported housing for young women and children on the Gold Coast.
At 19, Lilly spent weeks by her son Asher’s side in NICU, only to be discharged into emergency accommodation. With his tubes barely out, she and her newborn were moved from place to place, never knowing where they would sleep next.
“Some nights we were told we couldn’t stay and had to pack up again,” Lilly says. “With a premature baby, all I wanted was somewhere safe and quiet where I could look after him.”
Lilly’s only support network was 12 hours away, in her hometown of Cunnamulla, but returning there was a last resort. She wanted a different future for her son and was determined not to go back to an environment that couldn’t offer him stability.
“I didn’t have any family nearby,” Lilly says. “I couch surfed and even lived in a garage before I ran out of options.”
Just as she was preparing to make the 12-hour journey to Cunnamulla by train, Gold Coast Youth Service called with an offer that changed everything – a two-bedroom unit for her and Asher to call home for at least the next 12 months.
“That call changed everything,” she says. “Having a front door of our own and people who check in means I can plan to return to work next year and give Asher the stable childhood he deserves.”
Lilly’s experience underscores an urgent announcement from The Lady Musgrave Trust (LMT), Queensland’s oldest charity for young women at risk of homelessness. Following a $2 million philanthropic commitment, LMT is seeking land on the Gold Coast to replicate its proven “housing plus wraparound support” model for young women and their children.
Victoria Parker, CEO of The Lady Musgrave Trust, says the gift accelerates the build but land is the missing piece.
“We have the momentum, the model and a generous $2 million commitment. Now we need a site,” Victoria says. “Safe, self-contained housing with on-site support is a circuit-breaker. It turns crisis into stability for mums like Lilly and their children.”
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has welcomed the project.
“The Trust’s housing-plus-support model is exactly what our city needs – purpose-built, safe accommodation that helps women and children rebuild their lives,” Mayor Tate says. “With $2 million already secured philanthropically, they’re now seeking land and additional support to commence. The City of Gold Coast will provide practical assistance to help deliver this important initiative.”
Gold Coast Youth Service (GCYS), the region’s largest specialist youth homelessness provider, has seen demand for accommodation skyrocket. CEO Maria Leebeek says their limited properties for young mothers are at capacity year-round, and women are often forced into unsafe or unstable living situations.
“There are virtually no housing options for young mums facing homeless on the Coast,” Maria says. “Safer, supported homes would be transformative, now and for the next generation.”
In March, LMT opened Jinndii Waijung (“Mother’s Nest”) in Logan – four secure, self-contained units with shared learning spaces and on-site support, co-designed with young mums. This project was made possible due to the donation of a block of land; pro bono support from property and construction consultants; McNab building it at cost; and construction funding from the Queensland Government.
Across its South East Queensland portfolio, the Trust now delivers around 12,000 safe nights of accommodation each year.
“When government, philanthropy, industry and community come together, we can scale what works,” Victoria says. “We’re ready to build on the Gold Coast. We just need the land.”
If you know a developer, landholder or community leader who can help us open more doors on the Gold Coast, please get in touch at lookingforland@ladymusgravetrust.org
