“I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through — couch surfing, trying to keep up with school and work.”
This is a call to action from Ebony Keating, current resident at Education First Youth Foyer in Shepparton.
Youth Foyer, an initiative by national organisation The Foyer Foundation, offers 16- to 24-year-olds a safe and stable living space for up to two years with integrated education, employment and life skills support.
The initiative aims to unlock thriving futures for young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
According to The Foyer Foundation chief executive Liz Cameron-Smith, 40 per cent of people experiencing homelessness are under the age of 24.
“Contrary to common perceptions, young people experience the highest rates of homelessness among all age groups in Australia,” she said.
A consortium of 13 community organisations called FoyerInvest is seeking the Federal Government’s support to address this national issue.
The organisations are urging the government to fund the establishment of 10 new 40-unit buildings across the country to provide housing and support to over 3000 young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the next 10 years.
“Now is the time for action and investment in practical housing solutions that will make an immediate impact on housing supply for young people,” Ms Cameron-Smith said.
The FoyerInvest group met with key decision-makers in Canberra on March 18 and 19 to discuss its budget bid for $184 million in capital in the upcoming May budget.
The funds will be used to build the new accommodation facilities over the next three years.
“Foyers are a proven solution that gives young people who are ready to learn and earn a way out of homelessness,” Ms Cameron-Smith said.
This is something Ms Keating can personally attest to.
“At Foyer, you have support. When I was out of home, I never went to school, I never went to work, but when I finally had a place to stay, I could start back at school and do all the stuff I loved again,” she said.
“When I first came to Foyer, I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to do in the future; I was just focused on getting a place to stay.
“After moving in, with all the help from the youth workers, I realised I wanted to be a nutritionist.
“Now, I know what I want to do in the future.”
Ms Keating said the volunteer program, incorporated into the Foyer’s residential agreement, made the biggest impact on her life.
“It made me put myself out there. Now, I’m a lot happier,” she said.
The foundation’s partners have identified 16 communities in regional, remote and metropolitan places where a Foyer would make a significant difference to the lives of young people like Ms Keating.
Moreover, funding these services will help the government fulfil its commitment to end youth homelessness and positively impact communities and the economy.
The Foyer Foundation’s Under One Roof report found that every dollar invested by governments in a Youth Foyer generated an additional $6 in benefits.
The benefits of a young person supported through a Foyer were $172,417 in reduced lifetime costs per person.
The modelling found that 65 per cent of young people in a Foyer were in employment on exit, reducing the need for welfare by $47,330 per person throughout their lifetime.
For more information on The Foyer Foundation, visit https://foyer.org.au/