Ask a question | Townsville Youth Foyer

The youth foyer has been designed to include 34 off-street car park spaces for residents, visitors and staff. It has capacity to increase to 43 if required. Our experience from other youth foyers is that very few residents have private vehicles. The number of car parks is therefore fewer than the number of residents, but expected to meet parking needs.  

The site will be accessed from an internal road off Fulham Road. Perroux Street may also be used occasionally for deliveries during construction.

Young people must demonstrate their commitment to undertaking education, training and/or employment opportunities to gain a tenancy at the Youth Foyer.

We are currently developing the application process with Mission Australia and expect applications to open approximately three months before the foyer opens.

Mission Australia will update Townsville homelessness network partners about when and how to apply. Young people will be referred through local partners, housing providers and the Townsville Housing Service Centre. They can also apply directly to Mission Australia once applications open.

Young people interested in applying need to be eligible for social housing, be an Australian resident and demonstrate their commitment to undertaking education, training and/or employment opportunities.

The youth foyer will provide stable and affordable accommodation to young people who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness and/or housing instability. There are a range of reasons young people can find themselves with unstable living situations, such as escaping domestic and family violence, over-crowding in the family home, the breakdown of a relationship, losing employment or ‘couch surfing’ between relative’s or friends’ houses.

The Youth Foyer will give young people an opportunity to learn independent living skills and establish a good rental history before securing independent accommodation. 

Like the youth foyers located in Logan and the Gold Coast, the Townsville Youth Foyer will accommodate 40 young people to live in single occupancy, self-contained accommodation.

Youth foyers need to balance the local demand for services, the ability to include the right mix of apartments and communal spaces, and sustainability through value for money and service delivery.  Other Queensland youth foyers at Logan and on the Gold Coast also have 40 tenants and this number has been found to strike the right balance between helping as many young people as possible, while ensuring they receive the personal support they need.

Mission Australia will manage the Youth Foyer and provide 24/7 onsite support to the young people living there. Tenants will need to sign a tenancy agreement, which includes paying rent and their rights and responsibilities of living there.

Tenants are required to pay 25 per cent of their income in rent. This is part of the Youth Foyer model which supports young people to gain tenancy sustainment and financial management skills to support them to transition into independent accommodation.

Tenants also need to abide by the house rules and agree to these rules which Mission Australia will set. House rules can include things like noise levels, visitor numbers and appropriate use of the facilities. Tenants can receive notifications if they breach their tenancy agreement or the house rules.

Onsite staff will investigate and respond to any complaints.

Mission Australia is one of Australia’s largest providers of housing and support and have expertise in managing supported housing across Queensland and Australia and have demonstrated their ability to achieve positive outcomes for their clients.

Youth Foyers are an internationally recognised pathway for young tenants aged 16 – 25 years, to develop the skills they need to achieve independence. They provide stable and affordable housing while delivering social and economic benefits for young people and the community.

Youth foyers support young people to gain access to safe and stable accommodation and be supported to learn essential life skills and access education, training or employment opportunities so they can eventually move into independent accommodation. Paying rent (25 per cent of income) is part of the Youth Foyer model which supports young people to gain tenancy sustainment skills supporting a smoother transition into mainstream accommodation.

Tenants live in single occupancy, self-contained accommodation and do their own shopping, cooking and cleaning. Developing these independent living skills, including learning the rights and responsibilities of being a tenant, is a key part of the youth foyer model. Tenants have access to shared recreational spaces and participate in foyer activities to help build a sense of connection and community with other residents.  

There are other youth foyers in Logan and on the Gold Coast, and across Australia, which have demonstrated the success of the model.

Evidence from the Logan and Gold Coast Youth Foyers tells us that typically young people living at the foyer are under 21 years of age.

Following community consultation in 2019, the Pimlico site was announced as the location for the youth foyer.  It’s important that the young people living at the Youth Foyer can access public transport to travel to study, training or employment, which this location provides. A range of education services are within walking distance, bus services provide access across Townsville. The location is also close to local shops and amenities.

A statutory public notification process will ran from 22 March to 11 April 2022, which provided the opportunity to submit a written response about the design and urban development of the project. You can also ask questions through this page.