Hutchinson to build 40-unit youth foyer for Brisbane

The Queensland government confirmed on 3 November that Hutchinson Builders has won the construction contract for the Brisbane Youth Foyer, a 40-unit supported housing development for young Queenslanders aged 16 to 25. Hutchinson, chaired by Scott Hutchinson, was awarded the contract after a competitive procurement process, according to a statement from Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Youth Sam O’Connor.

The foyer is backed by the Australian Government’s Housing Australia Future Fund, under its Crisis and Transitional program. Rent will be set at roughly a quarter of each tenant’s income, and support staff will be on hand around the clock, according to the statement, which does not name the organisation that will deliver that support. The statement does not give a suburb for the site, a project cost, or a dollar figure for the Commonwealth funding contribution.

O’Connor said construction is forecast to start in 2027. “This will be life-changing for young Queenslanders and we can’t wait to welcome our first residents in 2028,” he said, the statement’s only indication of a target opening window. No formal completion date is confirmed.

Why it matters

A youth foyer pairs housing with ongoing support for young people who are homeless or at risk of it, on the condition that residents stay in study, training or a job. The government says Brisbane is one of eight new foyers it is delivering this term, with the others planned for Cairns, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Hervey Bay, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast. It ties the program to its target of 53,500 social and community homes by 2044. For Brisbane contractors and subcontractors, the award puts a new government-funded build into the 2027 pipeline, though the statement discloses no contract value.

The numbers

The Brisbane Youth Foyer will comprise 40 self-contained units for residents aged 16 to 25. Rent is set at roughly a quarter of each tenant’s income. Construction is forecast to start in 2027. The statement names no dollar figure for the build cost or the Housing Australia Future Fund contribution, and no suburb for the site.

What’s next

Hutchinson’s construction start is forecast for 2027, with O’Connor targeting 2028 for the first residents. The statement does not name the on-site support provider, confirm a site address, or set a formal completion date, so each of those remains to be confirmed in a later statement or development record. It follows a similar supported-housing build for another at-risk cohort: Adelaide’s Catherine House topping out in the CBD.