Youth Services: Homelessness

“When a person does not have suitable accommodation alternatives they are considered homeless if their current living arrangement:

• is in a dwelling that is inadequate; or
• has no tenure, or if their initial tenure is short and not extendable; or
• does not allow them to have control of, and access to space for social relations”.

(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012)

There are also two main types of homelessness that those in the community may experience and they are as follows:

Primary Homelessness: This is someone that lives on the streets without any source of shelter or living space (Homelessness Australia 2020).

Secondary Homelessness:  Is someone that does not have primary place of residence and moves between temporary accommodation such as friends’ houses, shelters and dwellings. This is essentially someone that does not have a primary address (Homelessness Australia 2020).

“Often circumstances out of a young person’s control can leave them without a safe place to call home.

These may include:

• Conflict or family breakdown
• Sexual, physical and emotional abuse in the home
• Lack of access to employment opportunities or insufficient income to pay rent and living costs
• Rising housing costs and the unaffordability of the rental market
• Difficulties in accessing Youth Allowance and other support payments
• Lack of support when in, or moving from, State Care
• Drug and alcohol issues
• Mental health issues
• Overcrowded living conditions
• The death of a parent”

(Salvation Army 2020)

Young people may also not know where to go to for assistance, so it is important to have information on community noticeboards, online and anywhere young people frequent so they can get assistance and support. Out of the community, young people make up 24% of the homelessness population and 1 out of 6 young people may experience a form of homelessness (Kids Under Cover 2020).