Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Adjournment

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (21:40): I move:

That the house do now adjourn.

Education First Youth Foyers

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (21:40): (950) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Housing, and the action that I seek is for the minister to allocate funding for the establishment of an Education First Youth Foyer in Bendigo. Education First Youth Foyers have been an incredible success story. As the Minister for Housing in the Baillieu Liberal government, I established Victoria’s three Education First Youth Foyers, and it is a policy that I will always be proud of. Education First Youth Foyers support young people at risk of homelessness by providing them with accommodation as part of an agreement in which they commit to being in education, training or work. It is more than just a place to stay; it is an integrated learning and accommodation centre where students not only have a roof over their head but support workers who teach them life skills and connect them to community and work opportunities. Hundreds of students who have come through the doors of our youth foyers have had their lives changed for the better. Eighty per cent go into stable housing when they leave the program, while 85 per cent exit the program engaged in secure work or further education.

I continue to be delighted when I hear stories of students who have been helped by the Education First Youth Foyers. Last Friday night I attended the 7News Young Achiever Awards, where two former residents of the Shepparton youth foyer were nominated for awards, and I could not have been prouder of both of them. Several past students from the Shepparton youth foyer are now purchasing their own homes, which proves foyers make an enormous difference to young people’s outcomes in life by giving them a better opportunity to complete their education and build a better life. My one disappointment is that there are not more youth foyers, especially during the current housing crisis that particularly affects vulnerable groups, including youth at risk of homelessness.

The government has committed to establishing two more youth foyers, in Wangaratta and Wodonga, but I want to see many more rolled out across Victoria, and Bendigo would be a prime location. I recently met with Bendigo TAFE executives, and they again expressed their strong desire to be the educational partner for an Education First Youth Foyer in their city. Further, they have already identified an appropriate site, a building already owned by Bendigo TAFE that presents a perfect opportunity for rapid refurbishment. There is a high demand for this service in Bendigo, as rising rents are pushing families out of housing and stressful or dangerous home situations mean some young people have to leave home. A youth foyer at Bendigo TAFE would meet a critical housing and education need amongst the city’s youth.

I raised this matter back in February, asking the minister to commit funding for the project. Unfortunately, I still have not had a reply to that question after four months, but this matter is too urgent to drop. I call on the minister to allocate funding towards the establishment of an Education First Youth Foyer in Bendigo. Education First Youth Foyers are an example of good Liberal policy – they invest in people to build their capacity and enable them to build better lives.