Youth Homelessness
By Renee Green, Phoebe Doyle, Tahlia Beesly
What is "Homelessness"?
A person is usually define as “homeless” when the person has no access to shelter or simply have no home. However being homeless doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing as living on the streets. Homeless people could be staying in temporary accommodation. That means that they could be staying with friends, with other family, in a caravan or in an abandoned building.
Being homeless is not always just about not having a home but also missing a stable connection with network or friends, family and the community.
Facts!
- The number of homeless young people aged 12 to 18 has decreased recently from 26,060 to 21,940.
- In Australia, youth homelessness affects over 32,000 people.
- Youth homelessness is considered anyone who is between the ages of 12 and 24, and do not have a physical address or place to stay.
- Studies have found that an indigenous person is more likely to be homeless.
- People are homeless due to a number of reasons. These reasons can be due to issues in the family home or conflict between family members, issues with drug abuse, mental health problems or even long term employment.
Where to find help!
There are many programs that are run by the government or voluntary organisations that aim to tackle homelessness by providing advice, financial support, a place to stay and other assistance.
Supported Assistance and Accommodation Program (SAAP) is a joint Federal and State Government support program targeting people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
The Salvation Army, Melbourne City Mission - Stopover Youth Refuge, Western Region Accommodation Program, St Vincent de Paul Society and Crisis Help Network Melbourne Homeless Services are some organisations that provide emergency and crisis accommodation for young people.