Education First Youth Foyers | Brotherhood of St. Laurence

Education First Youth (EFY) Foyers provide transitional housing on TAFE campuses for young people aged 16 to 24 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, connecting safe accommodation with education, training and employment pathways to help them build a sustainable livelihood.

EFY Foyers are a distinct model co-designed more than a decade ago by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL), the Victorian Government and Launch Housing. Today, EFY Foyers provide young people with a safe, supportive place to live while they pursue their education and employment goals.

BSL provides expert guidance to organisations implementing this model and is the licencing body for the Certificate I in Developing Independence , an accredited course designed specifically for young people living in EFY Foyers.

EFY Foyers are grounded in an Advantaged Thinking approach , focusing on young people’s strengths, aspirations and talents to help them achieve long‑term housing, education and employment outcomes.

You can read more about the outcomes achieved in our longitudinal evaluation here.

Interested in bringing an Advantaged Thinking approach or an EFY Foyer to your community? Get in touch with us to learn what’s involved and how we can support you. Email: Youth.Practice@bsl.org.au .

Applying to live at an EFY Foyer

To be eligible to live at and EFY Foyer, you must be:

aged 16 to 24 years
unable to live at home
Are motivated to progress in education and/or training

If you’re eligible, just fill out a Readiness Form for the EFY Foyer you want to apply to. You can find all the forms and info about each EFY Foyer location below.

Victoria

Glen Waverley EFY Foyer

Providing accommodation and support for 40 young people.
Delivery partners: BSL, Launch Housing, Holmesglen TAFE
Launch Housing website
Phone: (03) 9564 6488
Email: foyergw@launchhousing.org.au
Download Readiness Form

Broadmeadows EFY Foyer

Providing accommodation and support for 40 young people.
Delivery partners: BSL, Launch Housing, Bendigo Kangan Institute
Launch Housing website
Phone: (03) 9309 3946
Email: foyerbm@launchhousing.org.au
Download Readiness Form

Shepparton EFY Foyer

Providing accommodation and support for 40 young people.
Delivery partners: BSL, Berry Street, BeyondHousing, GOTAFE
Berry Street webpage
Phone: (03) 5825 6104
Email: foyershepp@berrystreet.org.au
Download Readiness Form

Wodonga EFY Foyer

Wodonga location providing accommodation and support for 40 young people.
Delivery partners: BSL, Junction Support Service, BeyondHousing, Wodonga TAFE
Junction Support Services webpage
Phone: (02) 6043 7400
Email: youthfoyer@junction.org.au
Download Readiness Form

Tasmania

Tasmania is home to five Youth2Independence (Y2I) facilities, each operating under the EFY Foyer model and adapted to fit the Tasmanian context. All Y2I facilities are delivered in partnership with TasTAFE.

Trinity Hill Y2I

North Hobart location providing accommodation and support for 46 students
Anglicare Tasmania webpage
Apply to live at the Y2I via Housing Connect: 1800 800 588
Phone Anglicare Tasmania: 1800 243 232

Campbell Street Y2I

Central Hobart location providing accommodation and support for 26 students
Anglicare Tasmania webpage
Apply to live at the Y2I via Housing Connect: 1800 800 588
Phone Anglicare Tasmania: 1800 243 232

Thyne House Y2I

Launceston location providing accommodation and support for 50 students
Anglicare Tasmania webpage
Apply to live at the Y2I via Housing Connect: 1800 800 588
Phone Anglicare Tasmania: 1800 243 232

Eveline House Y2I

Devonport location providing accommodation and support for 25 students.
Anglicare Tasmania webpage
Apply to live at the Y2I via Housing Connect: 1800 800 588
Phone Anglicare Tasmania: 1800 243 232

Wurayni Y2I

Located in Burnie, providing accommodation and support for 26 students.
YFCC webpage
Apply to live at the Y2I via Housing Connect: 1800 800 588
Phone YFCC: (03) 6423 6635

Application process

Step 1 Fill out the readiness form

Step 2 Post, email or drop off your completed form

You can complete the form on your own or with someone you trust. You might like to:

- Type straight into the form and email it to the contact details at the bottom

OR

- Print it, fill it in by hand, and then post it or drop it off at the EFY Foyer

What happens next

Meet with a TAFE teacher
They’ll chat with you about your skills and learning so you can explore the best education or training options.
Talk with EFY Foyer staff
They’ll get to know you a bit more and may also talk to your referees about your goals and current situation.
Join a group activity
You’ll get to meet some of the students who already live at the EFY Foyer and see what the place is like.
Find out what’s next
You might be offered a place straight away, or you may be given some helpful next steps and asked to reapply later.