Support for Young Homeless People in Perth

A new project to support young people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Perth will help break the cycle of homelessness, Minister for Housing and Homelessness Brendan O’Connor said today.

Mr O’Connor inspected progress on the Foyer Oxford building, which is being built under the Australian and Western Australian Governments’ National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness.

“Youth homelessness continues to be a critical issue with a recent report finding that people under 25 account for half of all people who are homeless in Australia,” Mr O’Connor said.

”Early intervention is the key. We want to be able to reach out to people at risk of becoming homeless so we can help break the cycle.”

Foyer Oxford is located on the grounds of the Central Institute of Technology campus in Leederville and within walking distance to education and training facilities.

Communal training and office space have been incorporated into the site, which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“This building will help 100 disadvantaged young people, including 35 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, who are committed to work or study,” Mr O’Connor said.

“Not only will the project give these young people a safe and secure place to call home but there will be on-site support services to provide access to education and training.

“I want to thank Anglicare WA, Foundation Housing and the Central Institute of Technology for their development and management of this project.”

The facility is based on the successful British ‘Foyer’ model, which supports young people with early intervention services to prevent long-term adult homelessness.

“This facility will make a huge difference to the lives to young people in Perth and I look forward to seeing the completed project,” Mr O’Connor said.

The Oxford Foyer project is being funded under the Australian and Western Australian Governments’ A Place to Call Home initiative.

The Australian Government is providing $150 million across Australia under the initiative including $17 million to Western Australia.