South Australia is rolling out 51 backyard studios to provide a safe space for young people who are homeless or at risk of leaving home.
Key points:
- 51 backyard studios will be rolled out in SA for young people facing homelessness
- The studios will be installed in the backyards of families or carers
- The state government will fund 70 per cent, while donors will pay for the rest
The one- and two-bedroom studios, which have ensuite bathrooms, will be installed in the backyards of families or carers.
The SA Government’s Homelessness Prevention Fund will contribute $2.3 million to Victorian not-for-profit Kids Under Cover to install the studios, starting in Adelaide’s north.
The government will fund 70 per cent of the 51 studios, while donors will pay for the rest.
The government estimates as many as 2,000 young South Australians do not have a permanent roof over their heads.
Kids Under Cover said its portable studios can overcome problems like overcrowding, tension and conflict, to give youth aged 12 to 25 a safe space.
“Being able to give a space where young people can have privacy and support to finish their education, it’s proven to be a fantastic intervention to stop families breaking down, causing youth homelessness,” chief executive Stephen Nash said.
Mr Nash said having a separate living space did not mean children were left unsupervised.
“Supervision and contact with the main family becomes a much more positive experience because they’re not tripping over,” he said.
Kids Under Cover said the first government-backed studio would go a 16-year-old currently living with her mum and younger sister in Adelaide’s north.
The organisation said the family experience includes disability as well as mental health and behavioural issues, and the older daughter had already left home on more than one occasion.
“Receiving the studio is like winning the lotto — it’s a dream come true honestly,” the mother said.
“It will have a significant impact for everyone’s mental health.
“There is a lot of conflict with the two girls … this will hopefully bring some positivity and stress relief for her.”