A Foyer full of surprises

‘The young people living here know where they are going and are fighting to get there,’ he said.

‘Every day they are surprising me, from the young boy who rode his bike to Albany, to a girl who finished her WACE last year and is starting university.

‘We also have a young mum who travelled two hours to school every morning to get her kid to childcare and never missed a day.’

Mr Sercombe said the 98 young people who would fill the Leederville apartment building were selected to the initiative because they showed personal drive.

‘The young people who are accepted into the program are the ones ready to make the change and be part of the community,’ he said.

Joining the program and the Leederville community means each resident works towards individual education and employment goals.

Mr Sercombe said connecting Foyer Oxford young people with the community had been a big part of early and continued focus.

He said he had walked up and down the nearby streets educating business owners and residents about the program, which had resulted in some offers of work for the young people.

Leederville Connect chairman and Atlas Divine co-owner Jeff Bullen said because of this early attention, he had not heard complaints about the program.

‘Leederville fits in so well with Foyer. We have got transport in a train line and station 400m away and a range of businesses, cafes, retails and hotels that will offer employment,’ he said.

‘From being at the opening last week, I can see mostly positives. I happened to bump into a resident who I couldn’t help but be impressed by. She was studying journalism after being homeless as a 15-year-old but continued to put herself through high school and graduate.

‘Most kids would struggle to do that with family support.’