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Following recent changes to departmental responsibilities, functions of the former Department of Housing and Public Works have been transferred to new departments. Work is underway to develop and update departments' websites.

Design and construction of youth foyers

The optimal design and location of a youth foyer balances:

  • the local demand for services

  • the ability to include the right mix of apartments and communal spaces

  • sustainability through value for money and service delivery.

Location

Young people living in youth foyers are working to achieve their education or employment aspirations.

When choosing the location of a new youth foyer, consideration is given to the proximity to local education institutions, public transport and services.

Design

Balance

The design of a youth foyer balances the practical requirements of communal living with the need to positively support young tenants.

This requires the right mix of spaces where young tenants can learn to be independent, while still engaging with peers and support providers as needed:

  • self-contained units

  • communal areas

  • office and training spaces.

Off-street car parking is also built into the design, and some youth foyers have covered outdoor areas.

There is often a high level of community need for housing and support services for young people, and the design of the youth foyer considers the local demand for supported accommodation.

In many cases, youth foyer developments are co-designed with the community

Co-design

In many cases, youth foyer developments are co-designed with the community. For example, Bark Architects led the co-design of the Logan Youth Foyer with local stakeholders including:

  • Logan City Council
  • the on-site service providers (Wesley Mission Queensland)
  • the property and tenancy managers (Horizon Housing)
  • current and former young residents of the existing Foyer.

Expanding the existing Logan Youth Foyer

The Logan Youth Foyer extension project reached practical completion on 17 June 2019. Read more about Logan Youth Foyer​.

New youth foyer developments

Youth foyers are planned for Townsville and the Gold Coast to provide much-needed supported housing for local young people.

We will provide regular updates and information on the process on this website.

More about youth foyers

Last updated: 
3 March 2020