Hanover Welfare Services
52 Haig Street, South Melbourne Vic 3205
Phone: 03 9699 6388
Fax: 03 9699 6790
E-mail: hanover@hanover.org.au
Web: hanover.org.au
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MEDIA RELEASE
4 November, 2010
Hanover Welcomes Labor’s Youth Foyer Announcement
Hanover Welfare Services welcomed today’s announcement by the Victorian Labor
Party that it would provide $15.7 million for the development of youth foyers to assist
young people experiencing homelessness.
Hanover Welfare Services chief executive officer, Mr Tony Keenan said that initiatives
with a strong focus on engagement with education such as foyer were critical to
bringing about real change in the lives of young Victorians experiencing homelessness.
“Hanover has been advocating strongly to both sides of politics for the need to move
beyond models that simply provide a roof over someone’s head for a short period.
Foyers are about providing a long term support to ensure that the most disadvantaged
young Victorian gets a genuine chance to succeed in life” he said.
Mr Keenan said that overseas evaluations of foyers showed that this type of reform
provided real opportunities for vulnerable young people to get a start in life. Foyers
generally provide up to two years of accommodation and support with the condition that
the young person works to becoming engaged in education.
”Independent evaluations of foyers in the UK showed that 75% of young people exited
foyers successfully engaged in further education, employment or both. These
approaches which join up services between education, housing and other supports
provide real opportunities and represent substantial shift away from the welfare trap
approaches of the past” said Mr. Keenan.
Media Enquiries:
Tony Keenan – Hanover Welfare Services CEO on 9695 8352 / 0413 526 910.
ABOUT Hanover Welfare Services
Established in 1964, Hanover is a leading Melbourne - based agency which provides
services to people experiencing homelessness or housing crisis. Hanover takes its
name from its first location in Hanover Street, Fitzroy. Hanover is independent; it has
no structural links with churches, institutions or governments.
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