Youth Homelessness Matters Day

Every. Single. Day. young people are crashing on friends’ couches, sleeping in their cars or finding shelter on the streets because they have no where else to go. We know that in Australia, 2 out of 5 people experiencing homelessness are under 25.

Tonight, that will be 28,000 young people.

Closer to home, 25% of the young people we support in Melbourne’s North are living in crisis without stable accommodation, every single day. They face multiple and complex barriers and are locked out of the labor market, out of the private rental market, often placed in the too hard basket.

Today is Youth Homelessness Matters Day and it’s time to call it out. 

Young people deserve more.

Young people deserve hope. Young people deserve support. Without judgement, full stop.

In conjunction with greater housing stock and access to social housing and a fair private rental system, we need a whole-of-government approach that tackles mental health, unemployment, family violence, education. We need a national plan to end youth homelessness that sees the whole young person. If our politicians and policy makers don’t see a moral reason to act, at least see the economic reason. Investing in young people makes economic sense. We know that every dollar the government funds for employment and social supports, we return $10 to the economy.

Prevention and early intervention is key – it’s time for change!

To all the young people out there in crisis – We see you. We hear you. We won’t judge you.

An open message from our CEO, Ben Vasiliou.

 

In the lead up to the Federal Election, the National Youth Coalition for Housing are asking both major parties for a plan to end youth homelessness. Australia needs a national plan to end youth homelessness. Show your support for young people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness and take action: http://chng.it/Rb62dkGX9q

 

Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash