Could Youth Foyers work in the NT?

August 6, 2026

This week is Homelessness Week in the NT. It’s not a week to be a proud Territorian because the homelessness situation in the NT is dire.  

Anglicare NT has long advocated for better and more when it comes to young people who don’t have a safe and secure place to call home each night. This is why we keep coming back to Youth Foyers, and whether or not the model could work in Darwin and Alice Springs.  

Have you heard of Youth Foyers? It’s a housing model for young people where life skills, training and employment support are part of their accommodation.  

A place in a Foyer lasts for up to 2 years, and they are in high demand because the outlook for young people who have lived in accommodation like a Foyer is good. On average, people who stay in supported housing programs designed specifically for young people, secure more positive housing outcomes (70%) than general homelessness services (27%).  

Everyone agrees a solution is needed  

We don’t have a Foyer in the NT but Anglicare NT and other homelessness service providers and agencies agree more supported, long term accommodation is needed. People under 25 make up 46% of all the homeless in the NT, and there is currently a gap in longer term transitional housing and supported accommodation services for young people.  

Anglicare NT asked Third Story to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether Foyers really are what is needed in Darwin and Alice Springs to target young people at risk of experiencing homelessness.  

Over June and July this year Third Story held 47 sessions with service providers, sponsors and decision makers, people with lived experience of homelessness, sector peaks and homelessness experts. The aim was to find and understand early insights and ideas about the demand and feasibility of Youth Foyers in the NT.  

List of the topics and themes collected in the sessions  

A feasibility study involves lots of listening! Below is a spread of the topics and themes collected by Third Story during their sessions.   

  • There are gaps across the whole spectrum of housing types in the NT  
  • Young people need the opportunity to define their own measures of success 
  • Most young people who need housing support in Darwin and Alice Springs wouldn’t describe themselves as homeless 
  • A lack of stable housing doesn’t mean a lack of family support 
  • Living alone isn’t a natural transition for many young people coming from remote community life 
  • There is a missing middle of support between crisis services and selection programs for young people 
  • Complexity of need is contributing to system paralysis and worker burnout 
  • The transition to adulthood is driven by rites of passage, not just age.  
  • Housing providers in both Darwin and Alice Springs see a need for better help to build tenancy and life skills  
  • The love, strength and cleverness of young people in the NT isn’t celebrated enough  
  • Aboriginal young people’s wellbeing is connected to deep love and belonging to Country  
  • Strong mental health supports are essential for achieving other outcomes. 
  • The current wait time for public housing in the NT is 6-10 years 
  • 46% of all homeless people in the NT are under 24 years old  
  • There is a shortage of affordable and appropriate long term housing young people at the of transitional support  
  • Without longer term exits, transitional housing goes around in circles  
  • There is demand for housing support that fits Aboriginal cultural understandings of home family and a good life  
  • The combination of high need and low populations drives a bottleneck of pressure on NT budgets  
  • There are unique strengths and opportunities for young people in the Northern Territory 
  • The NT has 14,000+ jobs to fill, investing in local young people will take focussed support and job (re)design 
  • Housing instability is a barrier to education and economic contribution  
  • Young people are taking risks to keep themselves safe and engaged with their goals 
  • Some young people are leaving the Northern Territory to access support and opportunities elsewhere  
  • There are barriers to consistent collaboration between services in both Darwin and Alice Springs  
  • Independent living skills alone will not equip young people for the multiple social worlds they live in  
  • Peer support role models are significant influences for young people  
  • Housing needs to be designed to support togetherness and relationship management 
  • Young people need to balance ‘space to focus’ with access and connection  
  • It doesn’t need to be fancy, but it does need to be full of love  
  • Large scale urban Foyer models could be harmful without strong adaptation and relationship design  
  • The first year would actually be about settling their nervous systems.  
  • Setting up feedback and research loops will be important in growing the service  
  • Long term success means building a wellbeing village, not just designing flagship infrastructure  

Input still welcome 

The final stage of the research is input on the themes and topics listed above. Perhaps you have something important to say, or you have personal or professional experience to contribute? 

From August 13 there will be a drop in workshop in the Gallery at Olive Pink in Alice Springs. Display is open from 10am-1pm where you can see the display of findings and provide your input.  

If you’re Darwin based and haven’t already given your input but want to – contact Emma Hohnberg, Director Business Development on ehohnberg@anglicare-nt.org.au