
The City of Launceston Council has published a planning application for a community facility for at-risk youth.
Lodged by Communities Tasmania, the proposed development at an undisclosed location in Launceston's CBD would provide eight beds for at-risk youth as well as a support worker.
The Communities Tasmania website confirmed a facility for at-risk youth was to be constructed in Launceston.
"This new facility will provide a safe and supportive environment for young people, with access to a range of social and therapeutic services intended to help them stay connected to support networks and education," the Communities Tasmania website read.
Youth Network of Tasmania chief executive Tania Hunt welcomed the proposed development, citing the dire need for more accommodation facilities to cater to a wide range of needs.
Census data from 2016 found the majority of people experiencing homelessness in Tasmania were aged under 44 years old, with young people aged 12 to 24 comprising 25 per cent of Tasmanian people experiencing homelessness.
However, Ms Hunt said that the number of youth facing homelessness could be much higher.
"What we do know is it's really difficult to understand the full extent of the issue," she said.
"We know that a lot of these young people will couch surf and not necessarily come in to contact with service providers."
Ms Hunt said she was pleased to see the planning proposal was specific to youth, citing the need for tailored support and access to services to help young people to reengage with family or education.
"We do know in Tasmania that young people aged 13 and above can access shelters but what we see is that those shelter environments don't provide the level of the support that young people need," Ms Hunt said.
"And there's also the issue that it may not be an appropriate environment for a young person to be in a shelter with older members of the community."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.examiner.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @examineronline
- Follow us on Instagram: @examineronline
- Follow us on Google News: The Examiner