The Silent Epidemic: Youth Homelessness

Written By Zoe Keath

Youth homelessness is the uncomfortable reality of Australia’s affordable housing and cost of living crisis.

As of the 2021 Census, 122,494 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness in Australia. Of this, nearly a quarter were aged from 12 to 24 years old. Children and young people who experience homelessness face significant barriers to education, employment, health and social inclusion.

There are many factors that contribute to youth homelessness, including poverty, mental health issues, drug and alcohol addiction, and a lack of affordable housing. However, the most significant factor contributing to youth homelessness is domestic and family violence. Children and young people who are presenting to homelessness services are overwhelmingly escaping family violence. They are culturally, psychologically and physically unsafe in their homes and, thus, homelessness presents the safest route for them, even when contending the significant barriers and risk factors it represents. 

These are children and young people for whom experiencing homelessness is regarded as safer than their own family homes.

And we are failing them. 

Increasingly, many children and young people are presenting to homelessness services alone. Despite this, Australia has no current plan in place to respond to child and youth homelessness. 

This is a serious human rights issue.

Youth homelessness violates several fundamental human rights that every person is entitled. Most notably, the right to adequate housing is a fundamental human right that specifies that every person has the right to a safe, secure, and affordable place to live. However, children and young people experiencing homelessness do not have access to adequate housing and may be forced to sleep rough, couch surf, or live in unsafe or overcrowded accommodations. Importantly, this can exacerbate trauma and mental health challenges of young people. Further, youth homelessness also presents barriers to achieving other human rights, such as rights relating to education, health, and social inclusion.  

Access to education is one of the major challenges facing children and young people who experience homelessness. Tenuous living situations often means that children and young people have to move frequently and may not have access to stable educational environments. This can lead to disrupted schooling, reduced academic achievement, and limited opportunities for further education and employment.

In addition to the challenges of education, children and young people who experience homelessness also face significant barriers to employment. Homelessness can limit access to job training and education, as well as create a range of practical barriers such as lack of transport, access to appropriate clothing, and safe and secure accommodation. This can limit the employment options available to children and young people and can further entrench the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

We need a youth-centred approach.

Children and young people who experience homelessness often face multiple and complex challenges that require tailored and coordinated support to address. The pathways that result in children and young people experiencing homelessness and how they interact with the homelessness service system is different to older adults. This difference is often directly tied to their age due to their development and legal status, particularly for children and young people under 18 years old.

These children and young people are forced into dangerous and unstable living situations that most adults never have or will have to contend with, all whilst going through a crucial time in their cognitive, emotional and physical development. This is a vital stage in development when children and young people are making sense of the world and children and young people experiencing homelessness have to navigate this in a constant state of anxiety and uncertainty. They have to work out where they sleep that night, how they will get to school in the morning, where they get their next meal or if their siblings are safe.

Whilst their strength and resilience in the face of such a situation is admirable, it is a situation that no child or young person should have to contend with. 

It is vital that services providing  specialised and tailored support to children and young people experiencing homelessness are supported. However, it is also important to identify the underlying structural and systematic components of the youth homelessness crisis to identify where the system is either failing to respond to children’s and young people’s needs or even causing further harm. In particular, addressing youth homelessness requires a human rights-based approach that recognises and upholds the rights of children and young people who experience homelessness and centre their experiences and voices. 

Addressing youth homelessness will require a coordinated and multifaceted approach, guided by the children and young people who experience it. It will include increasing access to safe and affordable housing (such as a guaranteed allocation of social housing specifically for children and young people or addressing rental affordability/accessibility), providing targeted wrap-around support services for children and young people experiencing homelessness and improving education and employment opportunities. Furthermore, a nationally coordinated framework to address children and young people through policy reform and service provisions is vital.

Adequate, consistent and safe housing is vital for children and young people to live a life of dignity, opportunity and prosperity as it underpins almost every part of our lives that we take for granted. Children and young people who experience homelessness are often our most vulnerable, those that need support the most. It is vital that we can ensure that the silent epidemic of youth homelessness does not continue and work towards a society where all children and young people have their fundamental needs met so they have the opportunity to reach and live to their full potential. 

Without a dedicated national strategy to address youth homelessness, there are no government targets to guide action, minimal funds to address the issue and no accountability. On this Youth Homelessness Matters Day, support this change by signing Yfoundations’ petition to develop a standalone national strategy to end child and youth homelessness and share with your friends, family and colleagues.

No child or young person should be left vulnerable and without a safe and secure place to call home.

Be part of the change

Resources

If you are experiencing homelessness or at the risk of homelessness, here are some of the resources available in each state and territory:

Queensland

New South Wales

Victoria

Tasmania

South Australia (SA)

Western Australia (WA)

Northern Territory (NT)

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Emergency: If it is an emergency or you are in immediate danger, call 000.

Zoe Keath

Zoe is a public servant, passionate youth advocate and dedicated volunteer with a diverse professional, academic and volunteering background. Zoe is a Bachelor of Justice (Honours) graduate whose thesis focused on far-right extremism and its link to social media and mainstream politicians. In addition, Zoe also holds undergraduate degrees in Justice (Criminology and Policing) and Behavioural Science (Psychology).

Zoe has a passion for young people and human rights, with a particular focus on human trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation. A strong advocate for education and awareness being the first step to change and prevention, Zoe is passionate about raising awareness and educating the masses on human trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation in Australia. She is very excited to be furthering this passion in her role as the Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Chair with Voices of Influence Australia.

In addition, Zoe is also a strong advocate for young people, currently sitting on numerous youth advisory councils including with Bravehearts, Wear It Purple and the U.S. Consul General Sydney. She hopes to continue to advocate for young people and believe that a youth voice should be heard in all levels of decision-making to ensure that we are working towards a future that is guided by the voices of those who will inherit it.

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