Sign Our Petition
Sign the petition
Petition to: The Hon. Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Social Services, and The Hon. Julie Collins MP, Minister for Homelessness
We need 15,000 signatures
Sign Our Petition
To develop a standalone national strategy to end child and youth homelessness
Why this petition matters
Homelessness continues to worsen for children and young people in Australia and there is no overarching strategy to tackle this impending crisis coming our way.
We need to ensure that our children and young people are safe, supported and given every opportunity to thrive. Ending child and youth homelessness will only be a reality if a clear, targeted and developmentally appropriate standalone Child and Youth Homelessness and Housing Strategy is created.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2016 Census data showed a 26% increase in homelessness over a 10-year period for 12 to 24-year-olds. This number is estimated to increase in the 2021 Census data following the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and cost of living pressures. The most recent Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) data indicates that almost 40,000 children and young people aged 15 to 24 years presented alone to an SHS in 2021–22, representing the third largest client group. We are also seeing children as young as 12 years old coming into youth homelessness services on their own.
Children and young people experience multiple pathways into homelessness and the breadth of their issues and vulnerabilities are complex and distinct from those of adults. They also experience some of the most insidious, hidden, and dangerous forms of homelessness. Almost one-third of young people presenting alone to a homelessness service were couch surfing at the start of their support. Couch surfing leaves young people vulnerable to servitude, exploitation and abuse. Moreover, around a third of young people presenting alone have experienced domestic and family violence, and many are experiencing it in their own intimate relationships. They are turning up to youth homelessness services when they have no safe accommodation but are often being turned away because these services are at capacity.
We must act now to ensure there are safe and supported options for children and young people before they face dire and dangerous situations. We are calling on the Australian Government to ensure there is a standalone Child and Youth Homelessness and Housing Strategy.
Children and young people do not have the same coping strategies and resources generally attributed to adults and thus require a range of accommodation and support models depending on their age and development, independence and presenting issues. This includes specialist youth crisis accommodation, transitional accommodation, medium-term accommodation, specialist domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV) support and accommodation, family reunification services, Youth Foyers, youth social housing and affordable private rentals. Currently, there is a serious lack of options across their continuum of need.
Yfoundations has reviewed current state homelessness and housing strategies and identified that actions relating to children and young people were largely in the context of early intervention, Youth Foyers and supporting young people leaving out of home care (OOHC). While these are important commitments, they only scratch the surface to respond to the breadth of issues and vulnerabilities of children and young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, particularly those facing it on their own.
The private and social housing market fails to help young people. Private rentals are unaffordable, inaccessible, and unattainable. Anglicare’s 2022 Rental Snapshot shows there was only ONE rental property in all of Australia for someone on the youth allowance payment. Young people also face barriers obtaining a social housing property due to long wait times and a lack of policy requiring housing providers to quarantine a percentage of their portfolio for this cohort. Combined with woefully low income support, young people are now facing homelessness and a future of trauma and vulnerability which we have the opportunity to change now if the Australian Government commits to a standalone National Child and Youth Homelessness and Housing Strategy.
It will take a whole of government and community approach to end child and youth homelessness in Australia. This is why we are calling on YOU to sign the petition. Demand that the Australian Government agrees to develop a National Child and Youth Homelessness and Housing Strategy today and be a part of the change.
For more detail on child and youth homelessness and the case for a national strategy, read our recent article in Parity magazine here.
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Susan Davis signed 2024-04-19 20:18:49 +1000
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Rosalind Halton signed 2024-04-19 19:49:59 +1000Age groups + youth and seniors- that experience homelessness need specially committed resources
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Hilary Pearce signed 2024-04-19 18:43:49 +1000Children and young people should be supported.
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Danielle Burns signed 2024-04-19 17:51:06 +1000Our youth are our future one cannot provide and contribute to society if they cannot have the basics of a roof over their head, access to water, food and clothing.
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Kaye Keefe signed 2024-04-19 15:31:52 +1000
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Alex McRae signed 2024-04-19 15:31:25 +1000
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Elizabeth Leane signed 2024-04-19 15:26:46 +1000
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Remi Krenkels signed 2024-04-19 14:56:16 +1000
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Sophie Lam signed 2024-04-19 14:22:04 +1000
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Megan Kelsey signed 2024-04-19 14:05:08 +1000My son who is Autistic and has serious mental health issues is homeless. There is not enough housing for people who have mental health issue. His homelessness has exasperated his mental health problem. This is a vicious cycle. If he had secure, permanent and safe accommodation his mental health would improve.
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Dehao Kong signed 2024-04-19 13:50:18 +1000
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Greta Hollows signed 2024-04-19 13:49:54 +1000
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Eliza Hannah signed 2024-04-19 13:45:38 +1000
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Duncan McGregor signed 2024-04-19 13:44:21 +1000
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Rueben Gumina signed 2024-04-19 13:32:20 +1000
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Angela Dwyer signed 2024-04-19 12:13:18 +1000
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Stephanie Richey signed 2024-04-19 11:48:39 +1000
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Matthew Wilson signed 2024-04-19 11:32:47 +1000I am a service manager for a youth homelessness program. I see it everyday and the impact it has on young people, families and community.
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Maddy Reid signed 2024-04-19 11:18:52 +1000I have worked in the sector and seen youth homelessness first hand. I have also been navigating the housing market for several years.
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megan parker signed 2024-04-19 11:07:18 +1000
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Jade Biazzo signed 2024-04-19 09:51:38 +1000
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Caitlyn Butler signed 2024-04-19 09:19:05 +1000
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Timothy Harris signed 2024-04-19 09:18:47 +1000
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Janet Crawley signed 2024-04-19 09:08:57 +1000Parent
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Suze Radford signed 2024-04-19 08:45:03 +1000Homelessness in this country is appalling – we must do better for our people
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Nicholas Koeck signed 2024-04-19 08:31:13 +1000I was shocked to read that one in two children & youth who turned up to a homelessness service last year needing a bed were turned away. This needs to change and quickly.
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Saranya Arun Kumar signed 2024-04-19 08:25:20 +1000I want to support the child and youth homeless people in all the day I can to improve their quality of life.
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Fran Crisp signed 2024-04-19 08:08:37 +1000
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Brian Wall signed 2024-04-19 08:02:50 +1000
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Vivienne Savage signed 2024-04-19 07:55:24 +1000