Voices of young people influence millions in funding for Youth Foyers for young Queenslanders

Hand Heart Pocket welcomes today’s announcement by the Queensland Government for eight new Youth Foyers across the state.

The first three of the new Youth Foyers will be delivered in Cairns, Hervey Bay and the Moreton Bay region, with the remaining five pipeline sites to be confirmed.

The announcement comes after 18 months’ of advocacy by the Queensland FoyerInvest Working Group, a collaboration initiated by Hand Heart Pocket, that brought together the Foyer Foundation, leading youth services, community housing providers, impact investors and the young people who live in Foyers themselves.

Hand Heart Pocket CEO and Co-Chair of the Queensland FoyerInvest Working Group, Sara Parrott said the funding announcement highlights the importance of collaboration in achieving system change.

“When we have shared goals and work together, we can do more for Queensland. Together, the Queensland FoyerInvest Working Group have brought our skills, expertise and resources to the table to work for systemic, positive change for young people in need,” Ms Parrott said.

“One of the most powerful parts of the Foyer advocacy approach was to bring young people who are living in Foyers to meet Ministers and government decision makers, so the young people could share their compelling stories of changes they have achieved in their lives, getting jobs, living safely and ultimately changing their life trajectory.

“At Hand Heart Pocket, we strive to be more than just funders, but true partners in systems change. We are proud to have contributed the philanthropic funding to stand up the Queensland FoyerInvest Working Group and to have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with our community sector colleagues on this initiative.

“Today we have seen the power of long-term thinking and importantly, philanthropic leverage that will have an incredible ripple effect for future generations in Queensland.”

Collectively, the eight new Youth Foyers will create up to 320 new homes and support almost 3,000 young people over 10 years to be empowered with opportunities that set them up for life.

The Queensland FoyerInvest Working Group includes Mission Australia, Wesley Mission Queensland, Gold Coast Youth Service, The Y (YMCA Queensland), Brisbane Youth Service, Q-Shelter and IFYS, along with the Foyer Foundation and Hand Heart Pocket.

About Youth Foyers

The Youth Foyer model of supportive housing provides safe accommodation for young people facing homelessness, along with learning and employment support, all under one roof.

Queensland has three existing Youth Foyers in Queensland, in the Gold Coast, Logan and Townsville. The evidence-based Youth Foyer model provides a $6 return on investment for every $1 spent, as well as savings of close to $200,000 per young person over their lifetime for the government. Eighty per cent of young people who live in a Youth Foyer move on to live independently in mainstream housing after just two years, breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage.

Photo: Voices of young people influence millions in funding for Youth Foyers for young Queenslanders