Youth Homelessness Matters Day is Wednesday 17 April 2024
Did you know that over 38,000 young people aged 15–24 years presented alone to a homelessness service in 2022–23? Of these young people, almost half experienced mental ill-health and over one third experienced domestic and family violence.
The majority of these young people were in need of short- or long-term accommodation and most were turned away due to a lack of capacity. These statistics only scratch the surface of issues that young people experiencing homelessness face.
Youth Homelessness Matters Day (YHMD) is a national day that was conceived in 1990 to raise awareness and public discussion about child and youth homelessness. It is held every year on the third Wednesday of April. This year, YHMD is Wednesday 17 April.
Over the years, YHMD has grown into a national celebration of young people’s resilience and an important day of advocacy for sustainable and innovative solutions to support the needs of children and young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Help raise awareness about youth homelessness and put the issues and realities of young people experiencing and at risk of homelessness high on the public agenda.
Yfoundations encourages everyone across the country and beyond to organise and participate in YHMD2024 activities on 17 April this year. Register your event and we'll promote it here and on our socials. We encourage you to feature information, posts and pics on your socials and other media. Check out our campaign kit for ideas and resources. Download our socials tiles. Get t-shirts and other merch.
Our call for the development of a standalone National Child and Youth Homelessness and Housing Plan continues and we encourage everyone to sign our petition.
You can also donate to make a difference.
