A Story of Real Impact through Conscious Investment Management’s Youth Housing Partnership with MCM Housing
How stable housing and consistent support transformed a young man’s life
In 2023, CIM partnered with Melbourne City Mission (MCM) and their Community Housing Provider, MCM Housing, to acquire 10 shared accommodation dwellings and help establish the pilot program for MCM’s Youth Housing Initiative (YHI) in Melbourne.
The Youth Housing Initiative is a program designed to build the independence and resilience of young people experiencing homelessness by addressing the complex personal and structural causes of their homelessness. CIM and MCM’s partnership is structured as a 5-year pilot program designed demonstrate the viability of the YHI model for supporting young people experiencing housing insecurity. We are hopeful the YHI pilot program can support proving the model up, resulting in an opportunity to have it eventually scaled up through government funding. It represents exactly the kind of investment we believe in – one that combines stable housing with wraparound support to create lasting change.
At Conscious Investment Management (CIM), we believe the most powerful way to understand the impact of our investments is through the stories of the people whose lives they touch.
We are proud to share Leo’s story alongside MCM.* Leo’s journey through the Youth Housing Initiative demonstrates what becomes possible when capital is deployed with purpose, and when young people are given the environment and support they need to break cycles of instability.
A lifetime of instability
When Leo was referred to the Youth Housing Initiative (YHI) at age 20, he carried with him years of disruption. Having grown up entirely in out-of-home care, Leo had experienced more than 32 placement breakdowns, including several unsuccessful kinship care arrangements.
Following a further placement breakdown with his grandparents and several refuge stays, Leo entered YHI with a deep need to be seen, valued, and protected.
Finding stability at G Street
Leo’s first moved into G Street, a congregate housing model where he could live in his own space while receiving consistent support from MCM staff.
G Street is one of MCM’s transitional accommodation solutions for young people in Melbourne, containing 6x one-bedroom shared accommodation with kitchenette and ensuite in each room and communal kitchen, laundry, living and outdoor areas. Under the current model, it is intended for young people to eventually transition out of this accommodation into shared accommodation, such as the properties financed by CIM.
The consistent, compassionate support provided by MCM’s dedicated staff enabled Leo to gradually build trust. With clear boundaries and structured routines, staff observed meaningful changes in his behaviour, self-regulation, and confidence.
Leo began actively seeking support appropriately. He started expressing his needs more clearly. He showed pride in small personal achievements, changes that signalled the beginning of a new chapter.
The pathway to independence
After five months at G Street, Leo identified that he felt ready to take a step toward greater independence. Over the following four months, his key worker supported him intensively, focusing on daily living skills and maintaining a home, financial literacy, establishing routines and building sustainable habits for independent living.
At nine months, Leo successfully transitioned into his own townhouse in Point Cook (a property acquired by CIM’s managed fund and operated by MCM Housing for the Youth Housing Initiative, as CIM’s Impact Partner) and begun exploring apprenticeships in mechanics and roof tiling.
Leo is actively rebuilding connections with family members he had lost contact with. Last Christmas, he spent the day with relatives he has recently reconnected with, something he once believed was impossible.
Image: Shared accommodation at Waterhaven, Point Cook
The impact of purposeful investment
Leo’s story illustrates the transformative potential of stable housing combined with consistent, person-centred support. For young people who have experienced significant instability, the right environment can break entrenched cycles and create pathways to independence and purpose.
This is precisely the outcome that CIM’s partnership with MCM Housing was designed to achieve. By financing shared accommodation dwellings and supporting the establishment of the Youth Housing Initiative in Melbourne, we are proudly walking alongside MCM Housing in their mission to address both the immediate housing needs and the underlying causes of youth homelessness.
With the continued support of our investors, we remain committed to funding housing solutions that create lasting impact for individuals and communities who need it most.
About the partnership
In 2023, CIM partnered with Melbourne City Mission (MCM) and its Community Housing Provider, MCM Housing, to acquire 10 shared accommodation dwellings and help establish the pilot program for MCM’s Youth Housing Initiative in Melbourne. The YHI is designed to build the independence and resilience of young people experiencing homelessness by addressing the complex personal and structural causes of their homelessness.
Through this partnership, CIM and MCM Housing are working together to ensure that young people like Leo have access to stable housing and the consistent support they need to thrive.
To find out more about how CIM is creating lasting impact through our investments, explore our latest Impact Report or get in touch.
*Name anonymised for privacy reasons.