Seniors Housing & Healthcare Trends

LOS ANGELES: An intergenerational homeless and transitional housing project is gathering support from the relevant planning authorities.

Positive progress has continued behind the scenes towards the development of the Great Southern Youth Foyer, which was first mooted publicly a year ago.

The project aims to combat youth homelessness in the region and help at-risk young people work towards independent futures.

It will involve the development of 10 short-term crisis accommodation units and 50 transitional housing units, which could accommodate young people for up to two years as they find their feet.

Albany Youth Support Association and Advance Housing have been driving the project locally with assistance from the Brotherhood of St Laurence.

AYSA chief executive Ian Clarke said the cost of building the 60-unit foyer would be about $25 million.

“By the time it’s built, ideally by 2026, you are probably looking at $25-$30 million,” he said.

“The operational budget from there would be $3 million, which does sound a lot as an annual cost but it actually is not when you consider it’s only $1.9 million more than the current cost of running an eight-bed refuge.

“Financially and, more importantly, socially it will be a real game changer for the Great Southern.”

This month Albany council will consider giving in-principle support to the disposal of land with an estimated sale value of $748,000 for the purpose of furthering the project’s development.

The request for land was made following a presentation of a business case to the council by Mr Clarke and AH chief executive John Lysaught.

In-principle support for the disposal of two vacant lots to the north of Pioneer Health would allow the project to move forward, but formal disposal of the land would require capital and operational funding to be secured by December 2026 and a further decision by the council.

“The business case was received quite positively so they are moving forward with the formal process of finalising that,” Mr Clarke said.

“We are also moving forward to meet with Government to seek funding support for the build.”

The business case for the Great Southern Youth Foyer includes how at-risk young people would be supported over a two-year period in moving towards a goal of living independently.

It also shows there are 11 accredited youth foyers already in Australia, as well as more than 135 operating in the UK where the approach successfully replicated a model developed by the French over a century earlier.

During a recent trip to Melbourne for the National Children and Youth Homelessness Conference, Mr Clarke and Mr Lysaught were reminded about how important the foyer could be for the region.

“One of the big things that came to the fore at the conference was the number of young people that were talking about their lived experience which included time spent with a foyer,” Mr Clarke said.

“They all said how much of a difference it has made to their lives.”

A motion to give in-principal support for the disposal of land will be considered at the City of Albany’s Community and Corporate Services committee meeting on Tuesday, and the council will make a determination at its ordinary meeting on August 22.