Helping young people into housing

The Hon Clare O’Neil MP
Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness, Minister for Cities

Mr Josh Burns MP
Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness


The Albanese Labor Government is delivering safe, stable housing for young Australians experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The Minister for Housing and Homelessness Clare O’Neil today announced more than 13,000 young Australians will benefit from more than $300 million to build 520 homes across the country.

The funding from the Housing Australia Future Fund delivers crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence, and young people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.

It backs a range of supported housing models, including independent living units, shared living, and youth foyers, which combine stable housing with support to stay in school, training or work.

The Woden Youth Foyer in the ACT is a key example of what can be achieved by giving young people a safe place to live while they stay connected to education, training and their community.

Operated by Marymead CatholicCare in partnership with the Canberra Institute of Technology and the Brotherhood of St Laurence, the foyer houses up to 20 young people aged 16 to 24, with round‑the‑clock support to help them build the skills and stability they need for the future.

This funding builds on the Government’s broader investment in young people at risk of homelessness, giving them the stable foundation they need to stay engaged in school, training and work, and to move into long‑term housing.

This includes:

  • $9.3 billion over five years through the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness, including $400 million a year in dedicated homelessness funding, matched by states and territories.
  • $124.6 million over four years for Reconnect, an early intervention program delivered through 100 services nationally, helping over 8,400 young people and their families every year.
  • $59.4 million over four years to help more than 4,000 young people aged 16 to 24 access stable community housing, by supplementing rental income for community housing providers supporting young people on the Away from Home rate of Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY.

The Albanese Government is building 55,000 social and affordable homes in every corner of our country for Australians experiencing or at risk of homelessness, with more than 7,200 now complete and 23,000 in planning or construction.

This is in stark contrast to the Coalition, who delivered just 373 homes in the nine years they were in office.

 

As at 19 August 2026