The Cocoon Residential
St Kilda
The place to transform
The Cocoon is a beautiful heritage-listed property in St Kilda, providing a safe home to 7 female-identifying people who have exited out-of-home care.
The Cocoon provides a home to recover, stabilise, develop living skills, and prepare for long-term housing.
What we offer changes regularly as we respond to the requests of our residents, but typical support includes:
- Staff on site on weekdays with a two-hour drop-in to address urgent needs.
- One-to-one case management with a Housing Coordinator. Sessions focus on residents’ individual goals.
- Peer mentoring groups.
- Life skills groups, such as cooking & budgeting.
- Therapies: massage, acupuncture, yoga, music & art.
- Community experiences: birthday celebrations, BBQs, movie nights & meals out.
- Wellness activities: knitting, petting & hanging out with Luna, our trainee-therapy dog, & visiting the gym.
- Education & employment: access to scholarships and assistance through Bridge to Work.
- A range of other services through partner organisations include access to a youth nurse and a private rental access program.
“It’s just nice to live in a place where I don’t feel like I have to sit in my room all day because I’m not friends with anyone…it’s been good having the support and being around other people who are also traumatised.”
The Accommodation
HousingFirst owns the property so is our landlord, managing the tenancy side of things.
We offer a studio apartment on a 12-month lease.
There is an inviting communal room for hanging out and for group activities.
HousingFirst caps the rent at 30% of a resident’s income plus their Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
(Note: maintenance of common areas, gardening, electricity, gas and water are all charged an additional $33 per week).
“Bridge It is compassionate, interested in me and my life, and what I need. They provide lots of great opportunities for me.”
Eligibility Criteria
- You are between the ages of 17 – 21.
- You are female-identifying (an all-gender house is coming soon).
- You are keen to live in a community setting.
- You want to engage in support and groups.
- You are transitioning from out-of-home care.
- We get no government funding, so everyone we support has to have a Home Stretch package to contribute towards support costs.
Interested in living at The Cocoon or want to make a referral?
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Check out the stunning mural in The Butterfly Room.
Our home is bright and welcoming.
The project is partially funded through Home Stretch packages. We need generous donors to support us in covering the costs.