HOMELESS youth in Melbourne’s west will soon have a greater chance of getting off the street, thanks to a new West Footscray project.
Marking the start of National Homeless Persons’ Week, the 20th Man Fund is partnering with the Designer Homes Concepts Centre and Third Voice Architects to design a million-dollar community centre for homeless youth. The Rupert Street centre would have crisis accommodation, offices and teaching rooms.
New figures show more than 1600 people are experiencing homelessness in the inner-west. Footscray youth worker Les Twentyman said there were only 16 crisis beds for homeless youth in the western suburbs.
Fifteen University of Melbourne master of architecture-degree students will work on a design for the project.
Recently released Council to Homeless Persons 2011 Census data shows homelessness rose in 90 per cent of federal electorates statewide in the five years between censuses.
