- St John of God Horizon House
- About
- History
History
St John of God Foundation, in conjunction with St John of God Geelong Hospital, established the first Horizon House in Geelong, Victoria in 1999 to respond to the needs of young people at risk of homelessness.
The success of that house prompted the Foundation to expand to other locations, with houses opening in Wilson and Wanneroo, Western Australia in 2003.
By the end of 2007, the service had expanded to seven homes across Victoria and WA.
The management of Horizon House was transferred to St John of God Health Care in 2010 as St John of God Foundation consolidated its role as the primary fundraising arm of the organisation.
A two-tier step down model was introduced in 2015 to provide a more gradual path towards independence, by offering access to transitional accommodation and outreach support.
We currently have 11 Horizon Houses nationally which provide long-term accommodation and intensive support, with a growing number of transitional accommodation beds available. We also provide community based transitional housing support for young people.
In WA, Horizon House offers a Young Mother and Baby Program and dedicated support for young Aboriginal men in Broome. In 2017, we will open two Young Mother and Baby houses, one in Bendigo and the other in Ballarat, while a new general youth house will open in Ballarat in late 2016 to early 2017.
Throughout our history we have partnered with community organisations, businesses, government departments and individual donors.
Support has been received over the years in the form of cash pledges, donations and volunteering– all of which has enabled Horizon House to improve the lives of hundreds of young people.