Villa World breaks ground on care facility for homeless youth

The Gold Coast Project for Homeless Youth (GCPHY) has partnered with developer Villa World to build a crisis care facility at Labrador which will provide care for up to 1,000 homeless young people on the Gold Coast over the next decade.The seven-bedroom facility on Olsen Avenue has been commissioned in response to an escalating youth homelessness crisis on the Gold Coast.Broadbeach-based Villa World has broken ground on the facility, to be known as Bill Hoyer House after long serving GCPHY president Dr Bill Hoyer.GCPHY president Andrew Antonopoulos said 126 young people had been turned away from the organisation’s current crisis care facility over the past 12 months due to full occupancy.“There are over 3,000 people experiencing homelessness every night on the Gold Coast, and a quarter of those are young people,” he said.“We have reached a point where we just don’t have enough beds.“These are shocking statistics which point to a dire need for more crisis care and programs which aim to break the cycle of youth homelessness.”Mr Antonopoulos said the GCPHY’s goal was to break the cycle by instilling life skills and encouraging clients to become contributing members of society.“We support each person who comes through the door with accommodation, food, case management and life skill programs,” he said.Bill Hoyer House will be constructed over the next 6 months on Gold Coast City Council-owned land leased to the GCPHY.The non-profit GCPHY, which is partially funded by the Queensland Government, has partnered with Villa World for a second time to make the project financially feasible.Villa World managing director Craig Treasure said the company embraced the opportunity to build a second home for the GCPHY.“Villa World is managing the construction of the house and we have put the call out to our subcontractors and suppliers to do as much as they can in terms of donating materials and labour,” he said.“The response to date has been extremely positive. The house will cost around $550,000 to build and through donations and financial support we are hoping to bring that figure as close to zero as possible.“If this project changes the life path of just one young person, it is a worthwhile endeavour.”Above: Carl Bruhn, Andrew Antonopolous and Craig TreasureThe home will feature seven bedrooms, four bathrooms and living space, with a separate youth workers’ quarters and office.The GCPHY has been established for more than 30 years and is the Gold Coast’s leading service for youth homelessness.For more information or to donate visit billhoyerhouse.com.au.