The top 20 toughest places for young people to find stable housing, land a job and finish school have been revealed in new analysis by the Foyer Foundation into Australia’s youth homelessness crisis.
The analysis shows almost 17,000 young people are without a home or struggling to find a place to live in 20 hotspot regions across the country.
At the top of the list is the Latrobe-Gippsland region, with a youth unemployment rate of almost 14 per cent. More than 1,000 young people are experiencing homelessness here and rates of high school completion are well below average.
Outback Northern Territory (NT), New England and North West (NSW), Illawarra (NSW) and Western Australia – Outback North (WA) round out the top five crisis areas.
The Foyer Foundation and partners are calling on the Government to establish 10 new Youth Foyers across Australia, including eight located within the top 20 hotspots.
“Youth Foyers are a proven solution, combining housing with education and employment opportunities to break the cycle of disadvantage,” Foyer Foundation co-CEO Corin Moffatt said.
“Our existing Foyers, including in some of the areas of highest need, are already having a positive impact on the lives of young people experiencing homelessness and more Foyers are on the way.
“But too many young people are still missing out on the support that can put them on a pathway to success. Almost 10,000 young people missed out on the medium-term housing support they needed last year due to a lack of options, and more than 30 communities are seeking investment for new Youth Foyers in response to urgent demand. Ultimately, there are enough young people to fill one or more Foyers in every region across Australia.”
The communities with the most pressing needs are: Inner Gippsland (Latrobe-Gippsland, Vic), Alice Springs (Northern Territory Outback, NT), Glen Innes and Armidale (New England and North West, NSW), Broome (Western Australia — Outback North, WA), Dubbo (Far West and Orana, NSW), Brimbank (Melbourne West, Vic), Western Sydney (Outer West and Blue Mountains, NSW), and Tweed Heads (Richmond-Tweed, NSW). Other sites with investment-ready projects and hundreds of young people experiencing homelessness are Albany (WA), Lilydale (Vic), Mango Hill (Qld), Mildura (Vic) and Wyong/Central Coast (NSW).
Youth Foyers are already helping young people transition to independent futures in four of the 20 identified hotspots: Illawarra (NSW), Ballarat (Vic), Townsville (Qld) and West and North West (Tas). Another Foyer is under development in Cairns (Qld).
“It has never been more difficult for a young person in Australia to find safe, stable and affordable housing. Most young people experiencing homelessness are not in education and training, have faced homelessness before and are missing out on medium-term accommodation when they need it. These young people deserve a thriving future,” Moffatt said.
“We and the local community partners know that this model works to break the cycle of disadvantage, alongside a strong system of crisis and temporary accommodation support.
“What we need now is government funding to build these homes and provide the support that unlocks futures young people deserve.”
For more information and to arrange interviews, please call Shona McPherson on 0410 293 844 or email [email protected]