What’s even more worrying is that these stats were recorded pre-pandemic. As you know, the pandemic has led to a rise in referrals, as young people have been isolating in dangerous households, can no longer couch surf and have lost their jobs.

Project Youth have 76 beds for young people facing homelessness in the Sutherland Shire and George’s River. There are currently no empty beds, and demand for our service is high.

As Mission Australia’s CEO James Toomey has said in response to the survey results, “This cannot be accepted as just the way things are. We can and must take action to make real and lasting change and commit to ending youth homelessness in our country.”

We have 3 branches to our homelessness housing - crisis, semi-independent and transitional. Our crisis accommodation is for young people facing immediate homelessness. We have 2 refuges, each with 5 single bedrooms.

Young people are welcomed into our refuges, as a safe an affordable place to stay, with 24 hour support. Young people living in crisis accommodation can stay for up to 3 months, and work with their case manager to develop skills to live independently.

Transitional Housing is the next step to independent living. The majority of these properties are shared 2-3 bedroom homes. Young people can stay for up to 18 months, and engage in support meetings and support plans which help young people to sustain their housing and work towards an independent future.

We also have 3 semi-independent housing options which each have 4 single bedrooms. Young people living here are assigned a case worker for help Mon-Fri, and have access to an on-call case worker 24/7.

Project Youth subsidise rent and cost of living, and support young people to find employment and claim Centrelink payments. 

More must be done to end youth homelessness. The government MUST consider recommendations such as investing in youth specific employment programs for those facing homelessness, #raisetherate of Youth Allowance and Newstart to cover the basics, as well as housing and mental health support for young people.

Ending youth homelessness will not only benefit youth, but provide economic benefit to Australia as well.

Luke Howarth, Asisstant Minister for Homelessness, has said young people are a priority cohort under the National Housing and Homlessness Agreement - let’s make sure he sticks to his word.

What can you do? Project Youth are your local organisation determined to tackle youth homelessness in our community: donate to Project Youth today to support a young person facing homelessness nearby – www.projectyouth.org.au/donate