00:01A new building helping some of Canberra's most vulnerable build a new future.
00:07Young people experiencing homelessness are often invisible.
00:12They're couch surfing, they're living in often dangerous situations.
00:16The Woden Youth foyer can house up to 20 people aged 16 to 24 with three rooms for single
00:23parents and their kids.
00:27They'll each undertake a certificate in independent living and get round-the-clock assistance to
00:34stay engaged in education.
00:36This is more than housing, this is housing with wraparound supports as well as a program
00:41to support a young person to move into independence.
00:44It's been a long time coming. The facility was certified suitable for occupation a year ago.
00:51The ACT Government has blamed defects and a slow procurement process for dragging out the timeline.
00:58At a time when we have such pressure on youth homelessness, I just cannot believe that it's taken this long.
01:05We don't want that to happen again and Housing ACT are working on making sure that that doesn't.
01:09It's the second youth foyer to open in Canberra, but the first to be purpose built.
01:14And the vision of course is to deliver more because this is an evidence based model that is proven to
01:19get
01:19incredible outcomes for the young people who access the services.
01:22The first residents have already started moving in and can stay for up to two years.
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