More than a place to sleep: understanding youth homelessness

When most people think about homelessness, they picture someone sleeping on the street.

 

For many young people, it looks very different.

 

It can mean sleeping in a car, moving between friends' couches, staying in overcrowded housing or spending night after night wondering where they'll sleep next. Much of youth homelessness is hidden from view, making it easy to overlook until a young person reaches crisis.

 

Every day, Kids First Australia's Southern Homeless Youth Assistance Program (SHYAP) and Health Homelessness and Housing (H3) teams work alongside young people experiencing this reality. They help young people navigate a complex housing system, connect with the right services at the right time and work towards safe, stable housing and brighter futures.

 

More than housing

Youth homelessness affects young people aged 12 to 25 who cannot safely remain at home because a parent or caregiver is unable to provide a safe, nurturing environment. It is more than the loss of housing. It is often the loss of stability, connection and the trusted relationships young people rely on during one of the most important stages of their development.

 

In Victoria alone, 6,373 young people were recorded as homeless in the last Census, representing 25 per cent of the state's entire homeless population. Because census data does not fully capture young people who are couch surfing or living in temporary arrangements, the true number is likely to be much higher. During 2017–18, more than 15,300 young people presented alone to Specialist Homelessness Services seeking support.

 

Why do young people experience homelessness?

Homelessness is rarely the result of a single event or individual choice. It is driven by broader systemic issues, including a shortage of social housing, an increasingly unaffordable private rental market and inadequate income support.

For young people, these challenges are often compounded by trauma.

 

Nine out of ten young people experiencing homelessness report witnessing violence in the home, while more than half say they left because of violence between their caregivers. The impact extends well beyond housing. Forty-one per cent of young people presenting alone to homelessness services report living with a mental health issue, while 57 per cent experience high or very high levels of psychological distress.

 

Some young people face even greater barriers. Young people leaving out-of-home care are significantly over-represented, with 63% having spent time in care before turning 18, despite only around 1% of Australian children entering care.

 

First Nations young people are around six times more likely to experience rough sleeping or squatting, LGBTQIA+ young people are twice as likely to experience homelessness, and refugee and migrant young people face six to ten times greater risk.

 

Navigating a complex system

For many young people, finding help can be just as overwhelming as losing their home. Those with lived experience describe a system that can feel difficult to navigate and slow to respond.

"Waiting lists and waiting lists. Just keeping you in the cycle doing nothing."

 

Another young person described living without a bed for two years.

"I hadn't slept on a mattress for two years."

 

Others spoke about the emotional toll of constant instability.

"Every fortnight your pantry is empty. Your bank account is zero."

 

Many also reflected on how a lack of trauma-informed responses across services and law enforcement can unintentionally compound harm instead of reducing it. Without timely and coordinated support across housing, mental health, family violence, education, financial assistance, youth justice and transitions from out-of-home care, young people can become trapped in a cycle of crisis accommodation with little opportunity to build long-term stability.

 

Walking alongside young people

While the housing system can be complex, young people should not have to navigate it alone. Kids First Australia's SHYAP and H3 teams support young people from the moment they seek help, assisting them to access crisis accommodation, transitional housing and longer-term housing pathways while connecting them with the services they need to move forward.

 

This support extends beyond finding somewhere to stay. It focuses on helping young people rebuild stability, strengthen their wellbeing and create pathways into education, employment and independent living. Every young person deserves somewhere safe to call home. With the right support at the right time, homelessness does not have to define a young person's future.

 

Where to get support

If you are a young person needing support, or you're concerned about someone you know, help is available through your local Housing Entry Point or statewide via the Access Point Service and Homelessness Hotline.

 

Dedicated culturally specific support for First Nations young people is available through Ngwala Willumbong and Wathaurong.

 

To learn more about Kids First Australia's SHYAP and H3 programs, including our work supporting young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, contact shyap@kidsfirstaustralia.org.au or west.outreach@kidsfirstaustralia.org.au.

 

If you are currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness, call the Victorian Statewide Homelessness Line on 1800 825 955 to be connected with an Access Point in your area. An Access Point is a designated community organisation that does intake and assessment for people needing help.