Mission Australia Youth Survey shows how Townsville teens compare to Qld peers
A Townsville teen has chosen independence over an unsafe family home, joining dozens of young people at living at the Townsville Youth Foyer – with new data revealing the unique pressures facing the city's teenagers compared to the rest of QLD.
For 17-year-old Townsville teenager Jessica Foster, paying a bill is a mark of independence.
Having recently graduated from Townsville’s Queensland Pathways College with a numeracy award, Ms Foster is one of 39 young people currently living at Mission Australia’s Townsville Youth Foyer – an 40-unit accommodation complex which opened in July 2024.
Ms Foster is building a life from scratch after choosing to leave an unsafe environment.
“I did grow up with alcoholism, drugs, and violence, domestic violence,” she said.
“Unfortunately, not everyone has someone that they can look up to.”
The Townsville Youth Foyer is a space for young people aged 16 to 25 who are either homeless or facing homelessness to live, with support from staff to build life skills and achieve their goals.
In it’s 24th year, the Mission Australia Youth Survey continues to be the biggest annual survey of its kind, with a total of 17,155 young people from across the country aged between 14 to 19 taking part.
In Townsville 266 young people took part, with 63 per cent of the city respondents saying cost of living was the most important issue facing the nation today.
For Ms Foster, the Foyer offers more than just a roof, it offers an escape from the “sense of dread” she used to feel waking up every morning.
The need for a safe haven is reflected in the data, which highlights worries about violence, safety and crime is significantly higher in Townsville at 39 per cent, compared to just 24 per cent across Queensland.
“I can be my own person … not feeling that sense of dread waking up every day, thinking ‘what am I going to have to do to make this person happy?’ Being on your own is actually way better,” Ms Foster said.
While the survey found 68 per cent of Townsville youth reported being “happy” or “very happy” with their lives, higher than the state average, mental wellbeing remains the most substantial hurdle.
Mental health concerns were cited as a barrier to achieving personal goals by 69 per cent of young people.
Ms Foster is now looking to obtain her Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate.
The survey showed 62 per cent of Townsville respondents are currently employed, a figure which is higher than the 52 per cent average for the rest of Queensland.
Mission Australia program manager Janine Smith said the facility focused independent skills, including budgeting workshops and cooking classes.
“[We’ve had young people who] have gone from sleeping in a car to having their own place. Now they are in an apprenticeship, and they have bought a car … that is a really good story,” Ms Smith said.
She said the program was designed to offer support and safety without judgment.
“Where a lot of them have been told ‘oh, you are going to end up like this’, they are like ‘no, actually, that’s not true’,” Ms Smith said.
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Originally published as Mission Australia Youth Survey shows how Townsville teens compare to Qld peers
