An Albanese Labor Government would invest in a Youth Foyer at the Woden CIT campus to deliver student accommodation for young people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness, Labor politicians announced this week.

In partnership with the ACT Government as part of the revitalisation of Woden Town Centre, Federal Labor would commit $10 million to provide accommodation for up to 20 young people at a time, aged between 16 and 24.

“Youth Foyers are proven to have significant improvements in the education, employment and housing outcomes of vulnerable young people, and they also help to stop long-term reliance on income support, social housing, support services and interactions with the corrections system,” said Labor Senator for the ACT Katy Gallagher.

The Youth Foyer would ensure that vulnerable young people have secure housing and access to key community support services while they pursue vocational education and training.

This combination of housing support, social support and training would help residents to thrive and achieve their potential by:

• Increasing the number of young people completing education qualifications.
• Increasing the number of young people productively employed.
• Reducing homelessness and the number of young people reliant on welfare and support service dependence.
• Supporting our at-risk youth to become the best young adults they can be.

Chris Steel, ACT Minister for Skills, said the new CIT Woden precinct would create around 520 local jobs, and the Youth Foyer would support vulnerable young Canberrans with a place to live and a pathway to a high-quality job.

An ACT Government spokesperson said the ACT homelessness services sector supported 757 young people during 2020-21. These services include accommodation, transitional housing, domestic violence counselling, education and advocacy services.

Youth homelessness has reduced approximately 2 per cent over the last three years, down from 776 young people supported by the homelessness services sector in the ACT during 2018-19. This number, however, relies on presentations to homelessness services.

“Through the delivery of valuable projects, including the Youth Foyer at CIT Woden, we hope to see this trend continue,” the spokesperson said.

If you or a young person you know is facing homelessness in the ACT, OneLink is available to offer assistance. Call 1800 176 468 or contact them via their website: https://www.onelink.org.au/

Labor has promised to make 465,000 fee-free TAFE places available across the country to address critical skills shortages and upskill Australian workers for the jobs of the future.

“Labor has a plan to create a better future for young people who need a helping hand to get the training they need for a better future,” Senator Gallagher said.

“This is what good, progressive governments do – they make investments that change lives for the better.”