GROWING youth homelessness in Bendigo has prompted urgent calls for members of the public to offer board to vulnerable young people.
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Up to 200 local youth are at risk of becoming homeless, according to statistics gathered by St Luke's Youth Central hub in Bendigo.
St Luke's Board Provider Program has been operating for some time but there is currently only one board provider in Bendigo.
Youth worker Ben Rowbottom said at least six more board providers were needed to meet demand.
Accommodation could be a spare room, bungalow or a caravan and the owner would need to be willing to provide meals for and interact with a young person aged 16 to 19.
St Luke's provides financial compensation to the board provider so that the exercise is cost neutral.
Young people are expected to contribute to the house financially, within their means.
Mr Rowbottom said giving a home to a young person in need could remove stress from their life and keep them from dropping out of school.
He said young people accepted into the program were vetted to make sure they had some level of independence and didn't have too many challenging issues.
Board providers can be anyone with a good heart, Mr Rowbottom said, who want to make a meaningful contribution to their community, are willing to listen and be empathetic.
St Luke's provides training and after hours assistance to board providers.
Mr Rowbottom said young people were made homeless because of a variety of reasons including family violence, eviction or drug use in their family.
A kind board provider could have an enormous impact on a young person's life, he said.
For more details about the program, call St Luke's on 5434 3966.