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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Kobi Shetty signed 2024-04-18 10:53:53 +1000
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Ivan Cunningham signed 2024-04-18 10:30:55 +1000I want to reduce Mental health and by ending homelessness it will make a difference to our youth who eventual become older. We need to do something now!
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Amy Casasola signed 2024-04-18 10:28:04 +1000
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Nicole Fernando signed 2024-04-18 10:12:27 +1000Homelessness is so out of control and it needs to be addressed for the youth of today, where they become the adults of tomorrow.
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Emily Cummings signed 2024-04-18 10:03:35 +1000
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Olivia Wells signed 2024-04-18 10:01:15 +1000
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Tom Harvey signed 2024-04-18 09:54:03 +1000
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indianna kluver signed 2024-04-18 09:52:54 +1000
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holly hill signed 2024-04-18 09:52:47 +1000there cool
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Blayze Murphy signed 2024-04-18 09:52:38 +1000
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Ella Bain signed 2024-04-18 09:52:11 +1000
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Madison Hill signed 2024-04-18 09:51:40 +1000
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lilly Roberson signed 2024-04-18 09:50:45 +1000
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Marley Beevers signed 2024-04-18 09:49:43 +1000
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Chris Pillidge signed 2024-04-18 09:45:19 +1000On reflection, in my younger days due to circumstance, I experienced periods of homelessness. I was fortunate by chance to engage with a FWOS (fringe dweller of society) who gave me a small light to assist me in my travel along the road of life. In turn, I have handed that light to others to assist them in their travels along the road of their life. Giving homeless youth a chance to change the course of their lives is the building foundation of a caring community which will foster a better future for now and the generations that follow us. It’s good Kama! Treat your fellow human being the way you would like to be treated……and rest will take care of itself!
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Leila Sinclair signed 2024-04-18 09:34:53 +1000Important cause
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Jason Taylor signed 2024-04-18 09:31:44 +1000
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Rose Carroll signed 2024-04-18 09:29:53 +1000this needs to happen
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Susan G Swalwell signed 2024-04-18 09:27:28 +1000DEFINITELY NOT ENOUGH HOUSING OR REFUGES FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. GOVERMENT DOESN’T CARE OR REALISE THE GRAVITY OF THIS SITUATION.
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Nerida Taylor signed 2024-04-18 09:26:00 +1000
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Louise Artup signed 2024-04-18 09:24:08 +1000Passionate about supporting young people and homelessness
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Penny McMillan signed 2024-04-18 09:24:00 +1000
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Rianah Cook signed 2024-04-18 09:16:40 +1000
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Barbara Honeysett signed 2024-04-18 09:06:37 +1000
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Jamie-Marie McDermott signed 2024-04-18 09:02:53 +1000
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Amy Prokopiwskyi signed 2024-04-18 08:59:46 +1000
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Max Evans signed 2024-04-18 08:45:37 +1000
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leeza lundholm signed 2024-04-18 08:44:09 +1000
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Aimie Meier signed 2024-04-18 08:42:25 +1000It is a smart way to start the conversation to find ways to fix this.
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Melanie Wilson signed 2024-04-18 08:41:34 +1000Its a disturbing sign that the statistic are on the increase in a country like Australia. Im a huge advocate for early intervention programs for youth and believe there is not enough being done in this field and more funding and training needs to be provided for support workers.