Photo of Frankie with her sister

Frankie | Aboriginal Housing Tenant

Frankie found herself homeless in Dubbo while being the primary carer for her then 16-year-old stepsister. The Aboriginal Housing Office put her in touch with Home In Place.

With a stable roof over her head, she was able to study a Bachelor of Social Work at Charles Sturt University as well as qualifications in Training and Assessment and in youth work.

With this place, I know that I’m not going to be shifted out. I can do TAFE. I can do uni. All I need to do is look after my sister and get my essays done.

The key to moving forward in your life is having your own space. It creates a clear mind which gives you the ability to think and understand what direction you want to go in.

Dubbo Frankie

“I missed out on a lot of my own youth and, to some extent it’s still happening, but Home In Place has given me the chance to start taking back some of what was taken away.

“I’m still learning what it means to have a home in the true sense of the word. To live with someone who is family in an environment that is stable… I’ve never really had it before, so home is really more of a vision than a reality, but it’s a vision that’s becoming a reality more and more each day.”